Pernice was born in Sicily. At the age of 14 he moved to Bologna to concentrate on dance. He chose to become a dancer after watching the British ballroom dance television show Come Dancing. Specialising in Latin style, Pernice has won a number of competitions including the Italian 2012 Championships.
Career
''Strictly Come Dancing''
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance
In 2015 Pernice appeared as a professional dancer on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing for its thirteenth series. He was partnered with former Coronation Street actress and model, Georgia May Foote. They reached the finals of the competition, but finished as joint runners-up alongside Kellie Bright and her professional partner, Kevin Clifton. They also participated as partners for the 2016 Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour. In 2016 Pernice returned to Strictly Come Dancing for its fourteenth series. He was partnered with television presenterLaura Whitmore. They were eliminated Week 7 in a dance-off with Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton, the Series 14 champions, and finished in 9th place. In 2017 Pernice returned to Strictly Come Dancing for its fifteenth series as a professional dancer. His celebrity partner was Debbie McGee, television and radio presenter and former ballet dancer. They reached the finals of the competition, but finished as joint runners-up alongside Alexandra Burke, and her professional partner Gorka Márquez, and Gemma Atkinson, and her professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec. In 2018 Pernice competed in the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, with singer-songwriter, dancer and stage actress Faye Tozer. For the third time in four years Pernice reached the final, but finished with Tozer as joint runners up alongside Joe Sugg, and his professional partner Dianne Buswell, and Ashley Roberts, and her professional partner Pasha Kovalev. Pernice has also appeared on a number of episodes of BBC 2 with Zoë Ball. Pernice is the current Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, performing 55 in 30 seconds in a challenge held in December 2016. The next year, in December 2017, he broke the world record for the most Charleston swivel steps in 30 seconds, completing correctly 24. Both records were achieved on It Takes Two with supervision by Guinness World Records.
Dance Tours and Professional Dance Engagements
Pernice has taken part in the nationalStrictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour in 2016. and again in 2017 as part of the professional dance troupe for group numbers and professional dances. In 2018, Pernice announced his 2019 dance tour 'Dance is Life' with his professional partner Luba Mushtuk. In 2016, Pernice announced his first dance tour 'Dance is Life', translated from the Italian expression 'Il Ballo è Vita'. The tour comprised 32 dates in England, Scotland and Wales between April to July 2017 to positive reviews. The opening night was 26 April 2017 at The Albany Theatre, Coventry. The last performance took place on 23 July 2017 at the Marina Theatre, Lowestoft.
Competition History
Pernice is a member of the Federazione Italiana Danza Sportiva, part of the World DanceSport Federation and competed at Youth and Adult levels between 2007 and 2014. Notable results include winning the Italian Open Latin Championships in 2012 with his dance partner Erika Attisano and 2nd place in the International Open Latin in Slovenia 2014. Pernice has won further Open competitions including Pieve di Cento, Italy ; Ancona, Italy ; San Marino and Saint Cugat des Valles, Spain. His competition dance partners include Erika Attisano and Alexandra Koldan.
Due to an ankle injury Laura was unable to dance in week 5 they were given a bye, and able to automatically progress to the next week. The couple were eliminated in week 7.
Series 15; with Debbie McGee
The couple were runners up.
Series 16; with Faye Tozer
The couple were runners up. ;*Green number indicates Faye & Giovanni were at the top of the leaderboard.
Series 17; with Michelle Visage
The couple were eliminated in week 9, at Blackpool. ;*Green number indicates Michelle & Giovanni were at the top of the leaderboard ;*Red number indicates Michelle & Giovanni were at the bottom of the leaderboard
Personal life
Pernice dated singer Ashley Roberts for a year after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
