While Strictly Come Dancing has lost a couple of its professional dancers ahead of the upcoming season, Giovanni Pernice has confirmed he’s not leaving the BBC One show any time soon.
The cast member, who won the show last year with Rose Ayling-Ellis, has said that he won’t be making an exit from Strictly as quitting isn’t “in [his] DNA”.
Pernice is the male professional dancer who’s been with Strictly the longest, having joined in 2015 and competed in seven seasons so far.
When asked whether he’d be next to leave the show, Pernice told RadioTimes.com and other press after winning the BAFTA Must-See Moment of the Year: “It’s not in my DNA to quit anything.
“I’m very competitive,” he added. “So let’s bring on the next challenge.”
Read more: Rose Ayling-Ellis to sign CBeebies Bedtime Story for Deaf Awareness Week
Pernice and Ayling-Ellis took home BAFTA’s Must-See Moment award last night for their silent dance to Clean Bandit’s Symphony on Strictly Come Dancing’s 2021 season.
EastEnders star Ayling-Ellis, who made history as the first deaf person to win Strictly last year, said that winning the BAFTA was “a very special moment” for the pair.
“Hopefully it’s shown how powerful TV can be, where actually it can influence and change things,” she added.
Ayling-Ellis was the seventh celebrity to be partnered with Pernice and the fourth to make it to the final, with Faye Tozer, Debbie McGee and Georgia May Foote each coming in second place with the pro during their seasons.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One in 2022. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.