Photograph: Courtesy of Giovanni Pernice/Amit Lennon
Born in 1990, Giovanni Pernice left his home in Sicily aged 14 to chase his ambitions of becoming a professional dancer. Training at a leading dance school in Bologna, he specialised in Latin dance and went on to become a much-decorated performer, most notably winning the Italian Open Championship in 2012. Three years later he joined the team of professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing. A five-time finalist, he took home Strictly’s top prize in 2021 – along with a subsequent Bafta win – while dancing with EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, the first deaf contestant to perform on the show. After the success of his solo tour This Is Me, he takes his new show, Made in Italy, across the UK in 2023.
This photograph was taken by my mother, Rosalba. I was seven and it was a typical summer’s day – I had been to the beach with my family, a fun and simple thing to do when you’re Sicilian. And the bum bag. You have to have a man bag! It was mostly a fashion statement, so I don’t think I was carrying much inside. Probably sweets which, as you can see from my body in the picture, I very much enjoyed, along with lasagne and pizza.
Even though my father was a policeman, I was a total rebel when I was a boy. I never did anything too terrible but I wasn’t a quiet child at all. As a dancer I was constantly moving around the house, running away, making noise. My sister and I had a very good relationship, so we’d always be laughing and making jokes. She started dancing soon after me, and while my parents never danced professionally, they’d do it for fun.
Despite the fact I was misbehaving at home, I was already very dedicated to my career; dancing was beginning to take over my life. Everything changed for me one night when I watched [Italian talent show] Come Dancing. I saw the chemistry between the boys and the girls as they competed, and I loved how movement allowed you to express yourself in a way I’d never seen. It was in that moment I realised what I wanted to be.
Some people think it’s strange that I was so sure about my ambitions at such a young age, but I fell in love with dancing so naturally. Although in many ways I had a straightforward goal, identifying as a dancer wasn’t always the easiest thing to do. I’ve always been determined enough to not let anyone else’s views affect my own, and my family was so accepting of me. But I wouldn’t say I was popular at school. I was spending a lot of my time in the studio rehearsing, and being a Sicilian male, there’s a kind of attitude that if you’re a dancer you’re not a proper man. The funny thing now is that all the people who were taking the mick out of me back then [for dancing] have come calling, saying: “Please can I come and work for you?”
I left home when I was 14 and I had to grow up fast. It was hard, because I was just a boy, and without my family by my side every day I felt as if I lost 50% of my strength. At first there were times where I did cry on the phone to my mamma. She would reassure me with encouraging words like: “Just remember why you are doing this.” Between my determination and the love I had from my family, we worked together as a team to make Giovanni the person he is today.
As a young man, I got used to being alone and having to deal with difficult emotions by myself. It begins to feed itself – this lifestyle of being on your own can push you towards a more focused mindset. There are no distractions. Then came the experience of winning – something I became addicted to. The first time I won a competition, I thought: “Being the champion feels nice. Let me have more of it!”
The journey getting to where I am today took hard work and a lot of sacrifices, but it was worth it. From those teenage years onwards, I had competitions every week. Preparation for those events took so much discipline that I’d end up missing Christmases and birthdays because I was intent on training. To this day, celebrations have never really been my strength. I’m still not interested in them particularly, but deep down I feel myself starting to change. Perhaps now that I’m getting older I’m starting to need a bit more attention!
As an Italian champion and a European finalist, I have triumphed in what I set out to achieve. But I knew television was the next goal. When Strictly called, I was super-happy to take on the role and it’s been a privilege to be part of the show for so many years. The icing on the cake was winning with Rose last year. Not only was there so much satisfaction in winning the competition and a Bafta, but we changed people’s lives with our dancing. I learned so much from her: no matter who you are, what your disability is, inclusivity is the most important thing. My family was proud – and the whole nation, too.
Being in the public eye comes with a new set of challenges. Because of how I look, and because I am Italian, there is a stereotype of a lothario that sometimes follows me around. I like flirting, but because I am a dancer as well it amplifies the whole “charmer” persona. What people don’t consider is that this is something I do for a living – as well as dancing, it is acting. If you see me do a good Argentinian tango, it means my partner and I are performing the right parts with enough emotion. Naturally the English newspapers like to speculate, but they don’t know what they’re talking about most of the time! I find the gossip [about my love life] funny.
I’ve done 120 shows this year, so I know how to deal with my body and brain after I’ve performed. I finish, go outside and meet my fans, then go straight to sleep; I never struggle with too much adrenaline, you just get used to it. But as a dancer, your body at some point stops working the same way it once did. I’ve been dancing for 23 years and I plan to do three or four more years, then try something else. I can’t imagine I’d ever lie on a sofa doing nothing, though. It sounds boring. I don’t know the meaning of the word lazy.
In so many ways, I haven’t changed much from that seven-year-old boy. Maybe there are some visible differences: I don’t wear bum bags and I now have some tattoos – the “R” on my chest is for my mamma and I have a new one of Freddie Mercury, because he is out of this world. I am such a huge fan of his energy on stage and the way he was with his audience. Other than that, I am the same. I’ve always been focused and I want to stay like this until I die.
If I could talk to that boy in the photo, I’d say: follow your passions and keep doing what you’re doing – stick with your thoughts and your fantasies. Two decades later, you’ll have a wonderful life.
