Giovanni Pernice came under fire for his interview on ITV’s Lorraine earlier this week. Now, a body language expert has shared his thoughts on the dancer’s behaviour.
The former Strictly Come Dancing pro, 34, sat down with Christine Lampard on Tuesday to talk about the recent findings of a BBC investigation.
The probe looked into allegations made by Giovanni’s 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington regarding his training methods. Giovanni was cleared of accusations relating to ‘physical aggression’.
However, six allegations relating to verbal bullying and harassment were upheld.
Giovanni Pernice interview on Lorraine
During his interview, Giovanni said he feels “relieved” that he was cleared of the most serious allegations.
He also claimed he and Amanda “never had an argument” during training on the show. Giovanni insisted he didn’t call Amanda names – something she alleged.
Initially he tried to come over as butter wouldn’t melt.
However, the interview didn’t go down well with some viewers who accused Giovanni of being “arrogant” and “smug”. Some even spotted him appearing to ‘smile’.
Body language expert Darren Stanton has now analysed the TV star’s behaviour.
Speaking to Entertainment Daily, body language expert Darren Stanton revealed: “Overall, Giovanni comes across as quite arrogant during the interview.
“I’ve been analysing Strictly for a number of years and he’s always given the impression of being a very competitive and arrogant person. In the early stages of the interview, he is trying to appear humble, which is shown through him tilting his head towards the ground.
“This is known as being a submissive gesture, like bowing to the King. However, he quickly changes, but initially he tried to come over as butter wouldn’t melt.”
Gio on Lorraine
Darren also pointed out that Christine became “more robust in her questioning”.
He continued: “You start to see him becoming more animated, especially with his hands. He’s focusing less on what he’s saying and losing a little bit of control.
“When he’s challenged on some of Amanda’s accusations, rather than somebody who is totally dismayed by the allegations, he flashes a little smile.
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“Usually someone would be upset by something like that, whereas Giovanni laughs and tries to suppress it. His response isn’t to challenge or deny it, he gives a smile, which is what we call duping delight.
“He also goes on to tuck his lips in as if he’s humming a song, but really, he’s trying to stop himself from saying something. He seems to find the whole thing a little bit of a joke. You can see from his gestures there that he’s trying very hard to not let his real thoughts come out.”
Concluding his analysis, Darren said that towards the end of the chat, Giovanni begins “waffling and sidestepping” when asked if he would return to Strictly.
Read more: Amanda Abbington praises ‘incredible’ Giovanni Pernice in resurfaced video
He added: “He knows he needs to tone it down and keep it calm. It’s unclear whether he will return, but for now he’s trying to paint himself in the best possible light.”
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