Giovanni Pernice has denied 'storming off' after seeing his ex girlfriend Maura Higgin's lick Joey Essex at the Pride of Britain Awards.
It was reported that the Strictly Come Dancing professional walked past 'in a huff' when he saw his ex and the TOWIE star getting close.
Maura and Joey were spotted sharing a steamy smooch at the event at London's Grosvenor House on Monday night (October 24) as well as photos emerging of Maura licking Joey.
The pair of them ended up leaving the awards together and were seen together in a taxi.
However, Giovanni's reps have since said: "This story is totally untrue. Gio enjoyed his evening celebrating with friends and colleagues. He had a brilliant evening at the Pride of Britain and loved meeting the winners and heroes on the night."
According to the Daily Star, Maura and Joey had hit it off as they spent the evening together, with Maura calling for him to get in the taxi amid a swarm of paparazzi.
An onlooker at the event said: "Joey and Maura were walking through the afterparty hand in hand through the sea of celebs in the red room. The pair were smiling but Maura’s ex definitely wasn’t as he walked right past them in a huff.
"The loved up pair were then standing in the foyer area with the hands entwined talking about how they were getting home."
Giovanni attended the Pride of Britain Awards looking as dapper as ever in a navy blue pinstripe suit paired with a a crisp white shirt and champagne coloured tie and pocket square.
He finished off his look with a watch, bracelets and smart tan leather shoes.
His appearance comes soon after he left the current series of Strictly Come Dancing after he and his partner Richie Anderson were left in the bottom two.
Giovanni was in his first same sex pairing on the hit dancing show.
Meanwhile, Maura looked as stunning as ever as she went for a bold yellow look.
The Irish star wore an eye-catching yellow tulle dress which stood out from the crowd.
She had her brunette hair tied back into a bun and went for her usual full glam makeup look.
Joey opted for an all black suit which he wore with a white shirt and a bold red tie.
Maura and Giovanni had a whirlwind romance last summer before they split in the following October.
Fans spotted the pair on plenty of romantic dates including dinners and outings at football games.
Giovanni addressed the split on his Instagram page as he denied any wrongdoing amid reports he had been using dating apps during their relationship.
He wrote: "Firstly, great relationships with great people can come to a natural end. This has been the case for me recently/ There was absolutely no wrong-doing & this should be the end of any speculation."
Maura and Joey's reps have also been contacted for comment.
