Strictly Come Dancing favourite Giovanni Pernice on why he isn’t chasing fame
The Strictly pro talks to Abi Jackson about what success means to him now and why life is a marathon, not a sprint.
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Your support makes all the difference.There can be a lot of pressure to declare big changes at this time of the year.
Giovanni Pernice isn’t getting sucked into that, though.
“I don’t think I would change anything drastically in 2023,” the Strictly pro dancer reflects.
“2022, it’s been great, and I consider myself very lucky because I do a job that I love, I’m surrounded by people I love, I’ve got an amazing team working with me. So if 2023 is the same as 2022, I’m very happy with it.”
That’s not to say he lacks drive.
After all, this is somebody who left his family home in Sicily at 14 after landing a place at a prestigious dance school in Bologna at the other end of Italy, rising through the ranks on the ballroom scene before eventually joining the BBC’s beloved Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 (before which he “couldn’t speak any English”).
Pernice just “loves” being busy.
“For me, being busy is the most important thing. I love a day off, I love a couple of days off, but when it comes to more than two, three days, I’m like OK, let’s do something,” says the 32-year-old, in his quick-step Italian lilt.
“I think I’m losing – I have the FOMO of losing time, I’m losing something I want to do, I want to be productive with my days. But I guess it’s important as well to go up, up, up, and then you have to have some days when you can relax and chill,” he adds.
One thing he is very good at is weaving balance into daily life – which means stepping away from social media in the evening.
“I’m a very productive person, I really want to do as much as I can during the day, and social media is part of my job as well, especially on Strictly, you have to keep in touch with fans.
“The people are the reason we are successful, in a sense, so you want that connection with them,” adds Pernice, who won the show in 2021 while partnered with former EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, the show’s first deaf contestant. “But at some point in the day, it’s like OK, that’s great, done, see you tomorrow.
“It is a pressure some people feel – I have to do more, I have to do more, I have to know. Social media is such an incredible platform but it’s also dangerous sometimes because obviously trolls and things, and you have to find a balance between not going on too much, not feeling the pressure to be involved constantly. I think this is what I’m good at.”
His morning routine is important, too. He has teamed up with Actimel on their ‘Moves for Im-Move-Ity’ campaign, encouraging people to support their immune systems with daily movement. He’s devised a series of fun dances that can slot into morning activities, such as the ‘Toothbrush Tango’ and ‘Fridge Foxtrot’!
As for his own routine, “obviously breakfast” comes first – “and then I put some music on and just slowly start the day,” he says. “I do have a little stretch in the morning, just to relax, and then get my stuff ready. Getting a little bit of movement in the morning, I think is the right thing to start the day.”
There is one New Year resolution he really hopes to stick with in 2023, however – to eat more healthily.
“I want to try to eat properly and a bit better, because obviously when I’m on tour it’s very hard to keep up with these things. I will definitely try to keep this up more if I can. For six, seven months, I’m touring this year, so it’s going to be a long one.”
He’ll be heading on the road later this month with his Made In Italy show, touring the UK and Ireland until early May. After that, Pernice joins Anton Du Beke for their Him & Me show, with dates running to the end of July.
It’s fair to say those schoolboy dreams of becoming a professional dancer certainly came true – but has the pressure to succeed changed over time? Does it feel different now he’s in his 30s and has already achieved so much, for instance?
“I’m a competitive person, it’s my DNA. Since I was a child, I’ve always been a competitor – in ballroom, that’s what we do, it’s a competition. So as a competitor, I always want to improve myself, do new things,” he reasons. “But do I feel the pressure to be famous? No. For me, it’s more about achieving a goal.”
After the last couple of years in particular, however, his approach to what those goals may be has shifted.
Winning Strictly with Ayling-Ellis was a moment he never could have predicted, but one he feels “proud” of.
“And my motto is living every day, trying to be the best you can, really,” he continues. “So, I don’t really feel pressure to be famous, or to be anything. If I can make people happy, then obviously, I’m happy. If I can change people’s life, that’s life made. So yeah, I’m 32 years old, hopefully I can do more of this in the future.”
His advice to young people is simple: “Follow your dream, put the effort in, put the hours in, and do what will make you happy.
“Listen – I’m not here teaching anybody life, but I see life as a marathon, not a sprint. You need to see the longevity of things,” he adds.
“I didn’t start dancing [thinking] one day, I want to be a professional dancer on Strictly. I just started, I loved dancing, and from there everything moves. It’s a marathon and everything will come – the right place, the right time, right people.
“But always, do what makes you happy.”
Giovanni Pernice has teamed up with Actimel to create the ‘Moves for Im-Move-Ity’ routine. To find out more, visit actimel.co.uk/immune-system
He will also be teaching an exclusive ‘Moves for Im-Move-Ity’ dance lesson at Danceworks in London on February 22. Limited tickets are available at eventbrite.com