Giovanni Pernice to spend Christmas with dance partner after vowing to marry her following their stunning victory on Italian Strictly Come Dancing - as she warns he faces 'acid test' from her family
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Former Strictly star Giovanni Pernice is spending Christmas with his Italian dance partner after they scooped top prize in the country's version of the popular dance show. It comes after Giovanni, 34, vowed to marry divorced mother-of-one Bianca Guaccero, 43, after they landed the top spot - thanks in part to die-hard fans voting from the UK.
![[The two (pictured) met when he joined the Italian dance show, Ballando con le Stelle, earlier this year]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/12/93450423-0-The_two_met_when_he_joined_the_Italian_dance_show_Ballando_con_l-a-40_1735045006556.jpg)
Bianca's mother, Rosaria Salierno, has also given the seal of the approval to their budding relationship, saying she would 'love to have him as a son-in-law'. Speaking to Italian media after Saturday night's win Bianca said: 'Giovanni will be with us at Christmas, in Bitonto (her home town in southern Italy) all together.
![[Bianca Guaccero and Giovanni Pernice performing during an episode of Ballando con le Stelle in Rome in November]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/12/93450565-0-In_the_last_few_weeks_Giovanni_and_Bianca_have_been_getting_to_k-a-43_1735045095354.jpg)
'He will meet my big fat family from Puglia. It's a bit like the acid test: if he gets through Christmas, he's won.'. When asked what type of person Giovanni was and how much love played a part in their win on Ballando Con Le Stelle, Bianca said: 'A lot. The sentimental union between me and Giovanni gave an extra depth to the work.
![[Bianca (left) revealed that crucially Giovanni (right) had also won over her daughter Alice]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/12/93450391-0-_He_s_goofy_and_crazy_and_that_made_me_fall_in_love_with_him_It_-a-44_1735045140035.jpg)
'But it wasn't easy to manage the two levels. 'If we didn't agree on an aspect of the dance, we were angry maybe for a whole day.'. Former Strictly star Giovanni Pernice with his Italian dance partner Bianca Guaccero, 43, after they scooped top prize in the country's version of the popular dance show.
![[The win marked the end of a traumatic year for Giovanni, who left the BBC series after more than 10 years following a probe by TV chiefs probing claims by former dance partner Amanda Abbington who said he 'bullied' her (Giovanni and Amanda pictured)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/12/93397299-0-The_professional_dancer_debuted_on_Ballando_Con_Le_Stelle_after_-a-41_1735045052070.jpg)
