Judge harshly Shirley Ballas HITTED by fans as she ‘disrespected’ star Giovanni Pernice in announcement of her return to the show

Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has come under fire from fans after she failed to speak out in defense of Giovanni Pernice.

Yesterday it was confirmed that fan favorite Giovanni will not be returning to the show as an investigation continues into his treatment of celebrities in the rehearsal room.

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When the BBC launched an official investigation following three official complaints from former partners, Giovanni was dropped from the BBC dance series.

Yesterday his absence from Strictly’s upcoming 20th anniversary was confirmed with the announcement of the show’s line-up.

Shirley, who will return to the judging panel alongside Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, posted on her Instagram account sharing highlights from her time on the show so far.

“Feeling so grateful to be back for my eighth series as head judge on @bbcstrictly ,” she wrote.

“I can’t wait to be back behind the desk with fellow judges @motsimabuse, @craigrevel and @mrantondubeke… 8 series later and I’m still excited for the season of Strictly.”

“Every year I am blessed when I receive the invitation. It is truly an honor to be part of a show that brings joy to so many families on these dark nights,” concluded Shirley.

“Are you all looking forward to the new series? Who would you like to see putting on their dancing shoes? Oh, it’s going to be very exciting and full of surprises as we celebrate 20 years of the best show on television. Hold on to your hats!”

However, instead of celebrating the show’s return, some fans took to her comments to ask why she wasn’t supporting Giovanni.

“None of you defended Gio,” one fan complained, while another wrote: “Congratulations, but it’s a pity Giovanni won’t come back. I won’t watch.”

“I WILL NOT WATCH THIS NO MATTER WHO IT IS. LIKE ARLENE PHILLIPS, GIOVANNI HAS BEEN MADE AN UNNECESSARY scapegoat,” said a third.

“No Gio is a huge loss for the show,” a fourth noted, while a fifth said:
“In my opinion it shows the lack of support for Giovanni, what happened to him who was innocent until proven guilty, the lack of public support from professionals, very sad.”

What has happened so far

Fierce defenders standing next to Giovanni came after the fourth star came forward claiming he needed “months of therapy” after working with him.

Giovanni has also reportedly blocked the publication of footage of his rehearsals with Amanda Abbington, whom he worked with last year and is believed to have initiated the complaints campaign.

Later in an interview, she described Giovanni as “nasty” while talking about her experiences.

The complaints stemmed from accusations that Giovanni had gone too far in the rehearsal room, so much so that Amanda quit last October and he was diagnosed with mild post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sources say Amanda was unhappy with Giovanni’s “extremely rough” and “combative” training style.

Giovanni maintained he had done nothing wrong, and in his only statement on the matter, he said: “My dear fans, I reject any suggestion of offensive or threatening behavior and look forward to clearing my name.

“Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade know that I am passionate and competitive.”

“Nobody is more ambitious for my dance partners than me,” he continued. “I have always tried to help them become the best dancers they can be.

“It always came from love and the will to win – both for me and my dance partners. Thank you all again for your continued love and support!”

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