After months of speculation, Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice has addressed his alleged 'feud' with former partner, Amanda Abbington, for the first time.
Sherlock actress Amanda, 51, sensationally quit the much-loved BBC competition mid-way through last year's series, reportedly much to the dismay of her 33-year-old Italian dance partner, Giovanni.
Since then, rumours of tension between the pair have been circling following various social media 'snubs' and a lack of transparency surrounding her exit.
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Amanda thanked 'everyone on Strictly' for their love and support in a gushy post following her resignation announcement, which pointedly excluded Giovanni.
He himself later opened up about his sadness at not being able to continue in the competition.
The professional toe-tapper was said to be 'fuming' following the news, which Amanda claimed at the time was due to 'personal reasons'.
She subsequently failed to show up to the grand finale in December, which saw eliminated contestants return for one last dance.
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BBC producers were allegedly keen for Amanda to reunite with Giovanni to show there was 'no bad blood' between them.
A source added at the time: "They wanted to position her as still very much part of the Strictly family, but Amanda’s response to the invitation was she’d not be back.
"It’s a shame, because her exit has been a sour note to the series this year."
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And it looks as though their alleged 'feud' has come to blows again this week, after Amanda publicly demanded footage of her 'tense' rehearsals with the dancer.
In turn, her reasoning for quitting the show has returned to the forefront of the conversation.
The broadcaster addressed Amanda's implicit accusations, claiming that 'robust' duty of care measures and 'constant dialogue' with celebrity contestants are both in place throughout the duration of the series.
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Giovanni has received widespread public support from Strictly fans and former contestants in the days since Amanda's request broke.
His 2017 partner and radio star, Debbie McGee, posted a Instagram snap of the two of them together earlier this week, writing: "Happy memories. Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly."
And today, the dancing pro has publicly thanked his followers in a statement posted to social media.
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"I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has sent messages of support over the last week – I really truly appreciate it," he wrote on Instagram.
"Thank you thank you thank you."
Topics: BBC, Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, TV And Film, UK News
Rhianna Benson