For decades the world of professional dance often resembled a parade ground. Young dancers — male as well as female — were routinely pushed and pulled into line in rehearsal by fierce choreographers bawling instructions.
It’s a world that the battle-scarred celebrity veterans of Strictly Come Dancing would recognise. Strictly’s professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice have left the show after allegations of hectoring behaviour, including spitting and kicking. Di Prima has admitted kicking his trainee. Pernice has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The actress Amanda Abbington, who was paired with Pernice in the 2023 series, said: “I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean.” She quit the show after five weeks. This week she told Channel 4 News: “I
