An Audience with Giovanni Pernice
An Audience with Giovanni Pernice at Blackpool Winter Gardens
About the show
From Sicily to Strictly, Giovanni Pernice invites readers behind the spotlight for the first time, sharing the journey that shaped him on the dance floor and beyond it.
When Giovanni joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, he brought not just extraordinary talent and fierce ambition, but the instincts of a born entertainer. Week after week, he captivated audiences, building one of the most loyal fanbases in the show’s history and becoming one of its most adored stars.
After years at the heart of Britain’s biggest entertainment show, Giovanni’s journey on Strictly came to an unexpected end. The events that followed tested his resilience and reshaped his perspective on life. Through it all, one thing never changed: the connection with his audience.
Warm, candid and inspiring, Gio: My Story is about ambition, sacrifice, reinvention and finding strength when the music stops – only to begin again.
This is Giovanni – in his own words.
Featuring - Giovanni Pernice
Giovanni was born on the Italian island of Sicily, and at age 14 he moved to Bologna to train full time in dance. He first started competing as an adult in 2008, winning competitions all over Europe. Specialising in Latin, his greatest achievement was winning the Italian Championships in 2012.
Giovanni burst onto British TV screens in 2015 as a new professional dancer on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing. After making the final with Georgia May Foote in 2015, he has partnered celebs including Laura Whitmore, Debbie McGee and Faye Tozer.