Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice threatens to QUIT show after being ‘wasted' this series | The Sun
STRICTLY star Giovanni Pernice has told pals he wants to quit the show – claiming he's been "wasted" this series.
The dancefloor hunk suffered his earliest exit in eight years this weekend following rumours of a rift between him and celeb partner Richie Anderson.
Reigning champion Giovanni, 32, is said to be "embarrassed" about being second out of the competition following last year's win.
He's now aiming to swoop up lucrative TV offers he's been bombarded with as one of the show's most successful stars.
Giovanni took home the 2021 glitterball trophy with deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and even went on to bag a BAFTA for their famous silent dance.
But his hopes of a back-to-back win were dashed when he and Richie landed in the bottom two against Fleur East.
Giovanni's close pal told The Sun: "He'd started talking about leaving Strictly, but going out before the show had barely begun was the final nail in the coffin for him.
"Giovanni's the most popular male professional on Strictly.
"He's a looker with charm who always has fans falling at his feet, but he also has a very nice manner and is extremely likeable.
"He desperately wanted to go much further in the competition and if he does quit before the next series, he's disappointed he won't be leaving on a high.
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"There were a lot worse dancers that were saved by the public because they saw he was wasted being partnered with Richie. They had no chemistry."
Giovanni's rep insisted Giovanni's hopes for "many more years on the show".
They added: " Giovanni is NOT leaving strictly. He loves the show and loves working with the BBC."
Giovanni first joined the BBC dance show in 2015 when he finished 2nd with Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote.
He placed in the final with Debbie McGee, Faye Tozer and Rose – and narrowly missed out on going all the way with Ranvir SIngh.
HIs least successful runs were with Laura Whitmore who finished 9th and Michelle Visage who was 7th.
He was partnered up with Richie to follow in the footsteps of last year's finalist Bake Off star John Whaite, who was Strictly's first all-male couple.
The Sun revealed a body language expert said he was "caught off guard" by their shock axing in the dance-off on Sunday.
"While he appeared to be a support to Richie throughout the results of the public vote being announced, we could see that Giovanni was feeling disappointed and slightly embarrassed to be leaving so early on.
"You’ll notice his shoulders dropped, his breathing became deeper and the usual authenticity he displays though gestures was not present.
"A number of smiles and the way Giovanni held himself wasn’t as free-flowing as his non-verbal behaviour usually is, suggesting he was caught off guard by the result."
Strictly suffered a ratings dip when it launched its 20th series three weeks ago.
Arsenal legend Tony Adams saved the day with his Full Monty strip routine – boosting viewing figures to more than 8.3 million last night.
It's a number many channel bosses would only dream of as the series continues to dominate Saturday night telly.
But according to Giovanni's pals, his exit may prove a risk to ratings going forward.
The source added: "Strictly ratings aren’t great, it’s not doing as well as it once did and now a lot of women are likely to switch off who usually tuned in to see him.
"Giovanni meanwhile is now looking for TV work outside of Strictly. He wants to go on and do his own thing like former Strictly stars AJ Pritchard and James Jordan.
"Giovanni thinks he's got something special to offer and wants to take up more opportunities in the industry, like hosting a new dating show.
"It's very likely he won't be around on Strictly for much longer."
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