Tess Daly's 'upset' over Giovanni controversy as she fears for future of Strictly

ok.co.uk:

The furore surrounding Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice has intensified rather than died down in recent weeks - as it has been alleged that more former partners may be coming out of the woodwork to ‘question’ their Strictly experiences with him.

Amid rumours that he was leaving the BBC show, the Sicilian released a statement on his Instagram to his ‘dear fans’, writing that he "reject[s] any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour," adding: "I look forward to clearing my name." Now, according to a source, someone else behind-the-scenes who is ‘upset’ about the controversy surrounding the Strictly star is one of the show’s mainstays - Tess Daly.They claim that the glamorous 55 year old, who co-hosts the hit show with her friend, the hilarious Claudia Winkleman, has been left ‘really upset’ about the whole controversy. “She always really liked and got on with Giovanni, but she also knows these women must’ve gone through a lot to make these complaints," they claimed. “She feels it’s probably for the best that he is leaving - but she knows he has a lot of fans - and she’s worried about the impact it will all have on the show long-term.” Strictly, you could say, is Tess’s baby.The former teen model took on co-hosting duties on the dazzling dance show when it first started, back in 2004 - while the late Bruce Forsyth was still at the helm.

And it’s a key time for the show right now - one she’ll surely not want to be detracted from in any way. Strictly celebrates an impressive 20 years this year, a milestone Tess marked in an emotional post earlier this month.

Alongside a snap of the star posing with Bruce Forsyth and Claudia Winkleman on Instagram she wrote: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY @bbcstrictly.