Gio : Taking the Lead

From Sicily to Strictly, Giovanni Pernice invites readers behind the spotlight for the first time, sharing the journey that shaped him on the dance floor and beyond it.

When Giovanni joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, he brought not just extraordinary talent and fierce ambition, but the instincts of a born entertainer. Week after week, he captivated audiences, building one of the most loyal fanbases in the show's history and becoming one of its most adored stars. That drive was forged long before the spotlight. Growing up in Sicily, in a culture where discipline came early and ambition mattered, Giovanni began dancing as a child, training at the renowned Paladanze school before going on to compete with the prestigious Team Diablo - renowned for its uncompromising, no-excuses approach and for producing some of the world's leading Latin champions. The lessons of those years laid the foundations for everything that followed. In 2021, the journey reached its pinnacle when he won the series with Rose Ayling-Ellis, delivering an unforgettable performance that later earned the TV Moment award at the British Academy Television Awards. And then came the headlines. After years at the heart of Britain's biggest entertainment show, Giovanni's journey on Strictly came to an unexpected end. The events that followed tested his resilience and reshaped his perspective on life. Through it all, one thing never changed: the connection with his audience. Warm, candid and inspiring, Gio: Taking The Lead is about ambition, sacrifice, reinvention and finding strength when the music stops. This is Giovanni - in his own words.