Giovanni Pernice has had a rollercoaster of a year after his last Strictly series—thanks to the Amanda Abbington scandal that changed his future on the show forever. For the longest time, Pernice been a fan-favourite and mesmerized audiences with his spellbinding routines.
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Given how much attention is on the Italian, especially after he sensationally dropped out of Strictly, everyone keeps a close tab on the dancer's romantic life. Pernice, now 34 years old, has said that he does want to settle down and have kids one day, as per The Sun.
On Anton and Giovanni's Adventures In Sicily, he shared that his mum keeps asking him about his love life. He said:
Of course, I want a family one day. You just have to find the right person first.
And presumably with the same hopes, Giovanni has confirmed his new relationship.
Giovanni Pernice’s new romance with Bianca Guaccero
Pernice’s latest romantic chapter is unfolding with Italian actress and TV presenter Bianca Guaccero, who is older than him by almost 10 years. The two met on the set of Ballando con le Stelle (the Italian Strictly), where Giovanni joined as a professional dancer after leaving Strictly.
The two have recently confirmed their romance rumours. In a video clip introducing their latest dance routine, Giovanni said:
Bianca is my priority. She has been my priority from the beginning. She is still my priority today and will be until the end of the show and beyond.
Meanwhile, Bianca claims she never thought she'd find love at 43 especially as she had ‘difficulty believing in true love’ until she met him. She said:
Being someone's priority is something new for me. I have always been the one taking care of others.
It's an amazing feeling. It's something I'm discovering at the age of forty-three. Having someone next to me who is proud of me and is happy for my happiness is something new to me. This had never happened to me in my life.
Bianca is not the only woman who has felt the love of Giovanni Pernice. In fact, Pernice often makes headlines for his romances.
Over the years, he has dated a string of well-known women and each of them has captured the public's fascination. From long-term relationships to fleeting romances and rumoured flings, here’s a look at all the women Giovanni has dated before.
Giovanni Pernice: All the women he has dated before
Molly Brown
Amidst the Strictly scandal, it was reported earlier this year that Giovanni was dating model Molly Brown. The 24-year-old met the dancer and sparks flew instantly as rumours of their relationship started swirling in the early days of their romance.
It is understood that the two had a ‘string of arguments’ and briefly parted ways while the Pernice's drama with Amanda Abbington was unfolding.
However, MailOnline reports, they got back together. The couple endured their final breakup in the summer of 2024. A source said:
Their relationship has been pretty full-on. But they have rowed again recently and it all came to a head earlier this week when they called it quits.
Jowita Przystal
Before Molly Brown, Giovanni dated fellow pro dancer Jowita Przystal—who was recently linked with her co-star Pete Wicks. The couple fell in love during the 2022 series and were thought to be dating only for three months before they decided to split. Interestingly, Giovanni hinted at his romance with Jowita a few days before they split, reports Mirror.
The duo split in March 2023 as sources close to them stated their ‘hectic work schedules’ have made it difficult to sustain the relationship. A source said at that time:
Giovanni is on tour for the next five months and trying to make time for each other has proved absolutely impossible.
Tasha Ghouri
Shortly before Tasha Ghouri found fame and love on Love Island, she enjoyed a string of dates with Strictly hunk Giovanni. The Sicilian dancer had just won Strictly with Rose Ayling-Ellis when the two started messaging each other on Instagram.
Months later the two went on a few dates in January 2022 but their fling ended due to Giovanni being on Strictly tour.
Maura Higgins
Probably one of Giovanni’s most famous romances is with former Love Island star Maura Higgins. The two dated secretly for weeks before making their romance public in July 2021. However, their romance was short-lived as it ended in just 4 months because Giovanni ‘wasn’t ready to settle down’ with Maura.
A source told The Sun at that time:
Maura didn’t see this coming and is finding it very difficult to come to terms with. She genuinely thought Gio was the one.
Ashley Roberts
Giovanni has also enjoyed a romance with Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts. The two met during the 2018 series of Strictly when Ashley was paired with Pasha Kovalev and Giovanni was paired with Steps singer Faye Tozer. After the series ended and the results were announced, the two confirmed their relationship, reports Metro.co.uk.
The couple abruptly ended their relationship in January 2020 after a year of being together. Giovanni confirmed the split on his X and claimed the two are friends despite ending the relationship.
Jess Wright
Giovanni met TOWIE star Jessica Wright through her brother Mark Wright when he was on Strictly in 2017. The two dated secretly for a while and confirmed their relationship with a loved-up snap on Valentine’s Day. They made a red carpet appearance shortly after that.
By April of that year, the two had split and had a nasty exchange at the Pride of Britain Awards. Jess is thought to have told him ‘You broke my heart, you lied to me.’
She is now happily married to William Lee-Kemp.
Katie McGlynn
Katie McGlynn, the British actress known for her role in Coronation Street, was romantically linked to Giovanni Pernice in 2017. However, their relationship was never officially confirmed.
Speculation about their connection resurfaced when Katie joined the Strictly lineup in 2021. Still, she clarified that she and Giovanni were on good terms without being deeply involved.
Georgia May Foote
Giovanni began dating Georgia May Foote in 2015 after being paired with her on Strictly. The two confirmed their romance after the show ended and posted a series of loved-up snaps. The two appeared to be madly in love yet their relationship didn’t go the distance.
In 2016, Georgia issued a statement on X confirming their split and insisting the two wanted to focus on work and there was no gossip about the split.
Read more:
BBC apologises to Amanda Abbington, but source claims the actress is still looking for answers
Giovanni Pernice joins Italian Strictly as BBC bosses reportedly give him ‘clean bill of health’
Strictly’s Amanda Abbington speaks out after BBC backs Giovanni Pernice amid accusations
Sources used:
The Sun: Who is former Strictly star Giovanni Pernice dating? All about his relationships including Love Island & Towie stars
Daily Mail: Giovanni Pernice and dance partner Bianca Guaccero finally confirm their romance after weeks of speculation on Italian version of Strictly
Mirror: Giovanni Pernice and Jowita's doomed romance and blunder that gave game away
Metro.co.uk: Inside ‘lonely single man’ Giovanni Pernice’s dating history and Strictly romances
