Shirley Ballas has spoken out in support of Giovanni Pernice following reports of a "feud" between him and Amanda Abbington, who he was paired with last year on Strictly Come Dancing.
Ballas, 62, who is the head judge on Strictly, described professional dancer Pernice as a "gentleman" and a "splendid teacher" while discussing the fallout during an appear on ITV's Lorraine on Monday.
