No Giovanni Pernice as Strictly pro dancers line-up revealed

Giovanni Pernice in Strictly Come Dancing 2023. (Image credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Giovanni Pernice has been notably left off the 2024 professional dancers line-up for Strictly Come Dancing 2024, confirming that he has left the show.

The official lineup of professional dancers for the show's 20th anniversary year has been announced today (Monday, June 10) with the news all four judges, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel-Horwood and Anton Du Beke will also be returning for the new series.

However, Giovanni, who's faced allegations about his teaching methods — which he has rejected — against him from some of his former dance partners, won't be joining Strictly Come Dancing for the show's milestone birthday.

During his time on the show, Giovanni lifted the Glitterball in 2021 alongside former EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, and made it to the final in 2015 with Georgia May Foote, in 2017 with Debbie McGee and in 2018 with Faye Tozer.

Some of his other partners have included Laura Whitmore, Michelle Visage, Ranvir Singh and, most recently, Amanda Abbington.

The official lineup of professional dancers for 2024 instead includes Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.

Johannes group dance week 7 — Strictly group dances are a highlight of the show. (Image credit: BBC)

It has also been confirmed that Tess Daly, who has presented the show ever since it started back in 2004, and Claudia Winkleman will be on presenting duties once again, while the show will also return to the iconic Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.

Sarah James, Executive Producer says: “This year Strictly marks two decades of entertaining the nation and we will be back with a bang in September as we celebrate in style with our incredible team both on and off screen.”

While we are still waiting to see which celebrities will be taking to the dancefloor, it has been revealed that the show will once again return to our screens in September, so we shouldn't have too much longer before the names are announced.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia.

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off.

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz!

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.