Strictly Come Dancing ’s Giovanni Pernice says his partnership with Rose Ayling-Ellis on the hit BBC show is ‘more than just about dancing’.
The EastEnders actress made history when she became the first ever deaf contestant to take part in the dancing competition, and has been impressing judges Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas with her incredible skills on the dancefloor.
Rose and Giovanni have developed a close bond as they’ve had to learn different ways to train and dance, and despite being awarded the first perfect score of the series, the 31-year-old Italian dancer said their relationship is more than the show.
“I think for me and Rose, it’s definitely from the beginning been more than just about dancing,” he said during an appearance on The One Show.
(Image: BBC)
The actress, 27, has shown millions of viewers how she’s overcome the challenges of dancing while being hard of hearing, and Giovanni has even developed a blinking technique to use to help Rose with her timing.
“I adapt myself a new way of teaching and obviously, Rose has a different way of learning,” Giovanni explained.
And their Couples’ Choice routine will go down in history as one of the most poignant and emotive dances, as it featured a short segment in which Rose and Giovanni danced in silence, to highlight how it feels for the soap star to dance.
“But I think with the dance that we did, we definitely sent out a strong message to everybody in the deaf community and we both already feel like winners,” the Italian added.
Despite being the odds-on favourites to win Strictly, the pro dancer isn’t focused on the end goal.
“Obviously, winning the Glitterball would be nice, like the cherry on a cake. But we are very proud of what we are doing,” he admitted.
Giovanni previously confessed Rose has changed him for the better, and by having to think of new ways to teach her to dance, he’s overhauled how he approaches choreography.
He noted that fans have said he’s “a different person” thanks to being paired with Rose, and he admitted the actress has definitely had a lasting impact.
“What I’ve learnt from Rose is that you can be positive and happy every day,” he told Radio Times. “She comes to the studio, and if it’s a difficult or an easy dance, she’s positive.
“Whatever’s going on with my own life, I go to the studio and spend time with Rose, and I just relax,” Giovanni sweetly added.
