Anton du Beke has expressed his desire to see Giovanni Pernice return to BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Judge Anton broke his silence for the first time on Giovanni’s departure, saying, “I’d like to see him back, of course.” Giovanni passionately defended his work ethic earlier this year, after actress Amanda Abbington accused him of “bullying” and “abusive” conduct in the Strictly training room.

The BBC is said to be in “panic” mode ahead of the release of an investigation into bullying charges on its primetime hit show, with executives concerned about potential costly legal action if the findings are revealed.

Anton told The Sun last week that “we’ll enjoy Aljaz and his new efforts on the show this year, and we’ll move forward.”

Anton and Giovanni are close friends, having recorded their BBC travel program together and going on tour together this year.

Anton and Giovanni are close friends, having recorded their BBC travel program together and going on tour together this year.

Giovanni, Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-serving professional dancer, has been accused of bullying after his celebrity dance partner, Amanda, testified earlier this year. The Sicilian has now left the BBC program to appear on Ballando con le stelle, the Italian version of Strictly.

BBC executives are weighing their options before the report’s release, as Giovanni or Amanda may sue if they dislike the findings. With anticipation growing for the start of the new season of Strictly on Saturday, the company will want to avoid spoiling its star-studded debut.

With the much-delayed bullying study, the top brass “don’t know what to do for the best,” according to a BBC source.

They stated, “There is a lot of dread and worry that whoever it does go in favor of would really go for the BBC, so every single word of whatever is given does not offer anyone the opportunity to protest.

“They are unsure of what actions to take, leading to continuous delays.” [Director-General Tim Davie is a kind person, but his path is tough to traverse.”

It was recently revealed that BBC managers had instructed Strictly Come Dancing personnel to “hand in their phones” following a claimed subject access request by Abbington’s legal advisers, Carter Ruck. This will search for any mention of either of the former dance partnerships in the hopes of uncovering evidence that will corroborate or refute the bullying accusation.