Giovanni Pernice vowed to marry his actress partner Bianca Guaccero after they won the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night.
The professional dancer, 34, debuted on Ballando Con Le Stelle after leaving the British series after almost 10 years because of a BBC probe into Amanda Abbingdon’s claims that he bullied her during last year’s series.
‘If we win the show, I’ll seriously think about it,’ Giovanni claimed of popping the question after the couple performed a breathtaking tango.
Giovanni and Bianca, 43, recently went public with their romance, with the actress claiming she had ‘never felt as secure and loved’ as she does with the dancer, who is almost 10 years her junior.
‘After a long time, there is someone who takes care of me and cares about me,’ Giovanni said.
‘A woman like her has been missing from my life.’
‘He’s goofy and crazy, and that made me fall in love with him. It had been a long time since I felt happiness in my heart,’ Bianca added.
The couple secured the first title in a tense finale, beating Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini and her pro partner Pasquale La Rocca.
Model Federica Nargi and Luca Favilla, who were also a favorite couple to win the show, reached third place.
‘It’s the first time I’ve won something in my life, and it’s wonderful,’ Bianca said as she raised the trophy with Giovanni by her side.
Taking to Instagram after the show, Giovanni and Bianca dedicated their trophy to their fans: ‘This cup is not just ours, but it’s also yours. Thank you for your love and support.’
Giovanni took the opportunity to send a message to his British fans, who, he said, have been ‘absolutely fantastic’ in supporting him.
The couple left the viewers speechless with their close-to-perfection routines. The duo commanded the stage with a mesmerizing tango and a stunning quickstep.
Carolyn Smith, who is the only professional dancer on the judging panel, suggested they are ‘ready to take part in the World Tango Championship in Argentina next year.’
‘Your story is close to a fairy tale,’ judge Fabio Canino commented during the final episode of the Italian show, which has been widely acclaimed as the best series with the highest level of professionalism.
Judge Selvaggia Lucarelli, who previously criticized the couple for ‘not exciting the audience with your perfection,’ had to admit they were ‘in fact too perfect.’
Bianca’s mother gave her stamp of approval to the romance, as she told The Sun after their win: ‘My daughter has always been very sensitive, she has faced many challenges with courage and I am proud of the woman she has become.
‘I am very happy that she chose to take part in Ballando con le Stelle because this show has given her and is giving her so much, as a woman.
‘Giovanni came down to meet me and my husband in Puglia, and I like him as a person.
‘Bianca has never said it to me explicitly but love doesn’t need to be announced, you see it and you feel it and that is enough.’
Giovanni made a triumphant return to Strictly last night where he was praised by the show’s judges, presenters and fellow professional dancers for his unforgettable silent dance.
The star featured heavily in the programme’s 20th anniversary special.
He was lauded for his groundbreaking dance with deaf partner Rose Ayling Ellis in 2021.
The pair stunned audiences when halfway through their performance to Clean Bandit’s Symphony the music stopped but the dance continued.
The special performance was dubbed the ‘greatest dance of all time’ on Strictly.
Recalling his performance with Ms Ayling Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years, Motsi Mabuse said: ‘Rose and Giovanni’s couple’s choice is one of those dances that follows me to this day. It was so moving.’