There were shockwaves on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor as reigning champion Giovanni Pernice and his celeb dance partner Richie Anderson became the second pair to leave the competition early in the series. Last year Giovanni, 32, lifted the coveted glitterball trophy after winning hearts with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Fans flocked to Twitter in outrage following the shock dance-off on Sunday October 9, as the red light of doom fell on Giovanni and Richie and they were in a dance-off with Fleur East and Vito Coppola. Manty viewers blamed their elaborate cuddly costumes for their departure as they performed the samba to Hakuna Matata from The Lion King.
Richie dressed as mischievous meerkat Timon, while Gio dressed as warthog Pumbaa. One fan @liv_liv_liv__ tweeted: "The stupid outfits didn’t help Richie and Giovanni one bit #strictly."
