Strictly: Rose and Giovanni perform Halloween themed Tango
Giovanni Pernice may no longer be part of the professional line-up on Strictly Come Dancing but he maintains an impressive - if somewhat unusual - record on the ballroom floor. And this weekend it will be broken.
For the 34-year-old Italian was dubbed the ‘King of Halloween' as he consistently wowed the judges and fans of the BBC series during the annual themed spectacular. As a result of his spooky brilliance, he reached the very top of the leaderboard along with his partners during the last weekend of October, reports Metro.
The milestone in the Strictly calendar is coming up this weekend and with Giovanni no longer on the show, one of the other professional dancers will be taking his record.
The Halloween streak began in his very first year back in 2015 when Giovanni was partnered with Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote.
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He went classic for his debut, performing a terrifying Tango to Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr, which scored an admirable 35. It featured patron backpacks and shooters covered with silver glitter.
Proving it wasn’t beginner’s luck, he once again topped the leaderboard in the following year after a Tango with TV presenter Laura Whitmore. Their dramatic zombie-inspired number to Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones got them a solid 36.
Upping his costume game further the following year, Giovanni dressed as Frankenstein and his bride was performer Debbie McGee. They scored an almost perfect 39 for a super energetic Charleston to Sister Sledge’s Frankie.
His Theatre/Jazz routine dressed as a skeleton with singer Faye Tozer was also just a point away from the top score. The Steps singer’s chilling moves to Fever by Peggy Lee, which saw them slowly isolate their bodies and perform in perfect synchronisation is a standout for Strictly fans. They brought it back in the final and managed to grab the perfect 40.
Ru Paul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage was his partner when he took to the dancefloor for a frightening Foxtrot to the Addams Family theme tune in 2020. Oncew again it was a triumph and also nailed 39 points.
The following year, Halloween Week was cancelled due to it being a shortened series because of Covid. After not getting to perform in his beloved special, Giovanni created a masterpiece that would enter the history books when it returned.
Going back to the Tango, where his winning streak began, he danced to Ed Sheeran’s Shivers with eventual winner Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Dressed as an ice queen, Rose sharply manoeuvred around the room and earned the elusive perfect 40. This was the earliest top marks had been awarded in Strictly history – a record that still stands. Not only that, it was the sixth time Giovanni was at the top of the Halloween leaderboard.
The incredible moment even led to a personal message from Ed, who congratulated them on their achievement.
In 2022, Giovanni wasn’t dancing in Halloween week with partner Richie Anderson as they’d already been kicked out of the contest.
He once again didn’t make it to the milestone in 2023, as his dance partner Amanda Abbington quit Strictly before it arrived. After exiting, Amanda made damning allegations about her treatment.
BBC launched an investigation into Giovanni’s conduct and findings were released last month. There were no findings relating to physical aggression, but complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld. The broadcaster issued an apology to the Sherlock actress.
The competition is now wide open for anyone to take the Halloween week crown, but will it be one of the current favourites to win the series? The latest odds place comedian Chris McCausland with professional dancer Dianne Buswell to win, with Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and professional Aljaz Skorjanec close behind.
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
