Giovanni Pernice was seen glued to his phone as he stepped out in London on Thursday after his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington quit Strictly Come Dancing.
The 33-year-old Italian professional dancer was spotted leaving a hotel in Soho but appeared very distracted.
Giovanni seemed to shut out the world as he plugged in his headphones and stared intently at his phone screen.
Wearing a smart burgundy jumper and checked blazer, the Strictly professional appeared to grimace during his afternoon outing after the week’s drama.
Earlier on Thursday, Giovanni looked sad as he was pictured for the first time since Amanda’s exit this week.
Will you contact Amanda? Giovanni Pernice was seen glued to his cell phone as he stepped out in London on Thursday
Dancing: The sighting comes after Giovanni’s celebrity partner Amanda Abbington left the show this week
The professional dancer jumped into a padded jacket and track pants and hopped on an e-scooter.
The sightings come after it was revealed that Amanda, 51, had pulled out of the show for “personal reasons” after failing to appear in last Saturday’s episode.
Amanda didn’t say why she quit but said she didn’t make the “decision lightly” as insiders claimed her time on the show had been plagued by difficulties.
She thanked her team but made no mention of Giovanni and wrote: “It is with great regret that I have had to leave Strictly.” This decision was not an easy one for me but for personal reasons I cannot continue.
“It was an absolute pleasure working with my competitors. They are a wonderful, hard-working and talented group of people that I love and will miss seeing and competing with every Friday and Saturday.”
“I would like to thank the incredible production team and everyone at Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. “They are wonderful people and I will miss them all.
“I’m so sad I can’t carry on.” Thank you to everyone who voted and sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all great. Really. Thank you very much. xxx’.
Giovanni later took to Instagram and shared a backstage photo with Amanda during Movie Week.
Deep in thought: The Italian professional dancer seemed distracted by his phone screen
On the go: Giovanni seemed to shut out the world as he plugged in his headphones
Smart look: Giovanni wore a burgundy sweater, a checked blazer and Chelsea boots
Deep in thought: Giovanni has a lot to think about after Amanda left the show earlier this week
He captioned the snap: “Amanda… I’m so sad we can’t move on but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and I’m sending you so much love.”
On Monday’s It Takes Two, the show confirmed Amanda’s exit and released a statement saying: “Amanda Abbington is unable to continue on Strictly Come Dancing and has decided to withdraw from the competition.” The show wishes her all the best for the future.’
A Strictly insider told Web about Amanda’s withdrawal: “This is something Amanda has unfortunately had to think about since the end of last week.”
“It was a devastating time for Amanda. Her Strictly journey was plagued with difficulties but she just didn’t believe there was another option. As difficult as it was, there was a chance they could have won.’
After seven years on the BBC show, some Strictly viewers are predicting that this could be Giovanni’s last season appearing with a celebrity partner.
One wrote: “I think this will be your last year… you’ve outgrown Strictly and I think you know that.”
Another said: “I’m devastated for you.” I supported and voted for both of you. Will we see you dancing on Strictly next year?
But sources close to Giovanni say that although these talks will not take place until 2024, he is not even thinking about leaving the show.
Poignant: She shared these words alongside the picture as she shared with her fans how she felt and thanked those she worked with
Sweet news: Amanda’s professional partner on Strictly Come Dancing, Giovanni, has broken his silence after she left the show
Out: Amanda and Giovanni did not dance on Saturday night, citing “medical reasons” for their absence from the show. At the same time, she posted a now-deleted message about mental health issues
Amanda reportedly didn’t know what she was getting herself into when she signed up for the BBC dance show – speculation suggests she failed to get along with Giovanni.
According to the Telegraph, the Sherlock actress was “exhausted and fragile” and insiders are not surprised she left the show.
While the official reason for Amanda’s exit from the show is currently unclear, viewers have begun to speculate as to why she left despite seemingly being so promising and talented.
Amid the growing speculation, an inside source told the Telegraph: “It could be that she didn’t know what she was getting into.”
“They didn’t gel right from the start. Obviously they put on a brave face, but the problem clearly hasn’t been solved.”
The source continued: “He was pretty tough and she found that difficult. “If she wasn’t doing very well, that wouldn’t have helped. She was with a partner who had a certain training style that she couldn’t get along with. “I don’t know if that’s what happened or if there’s something else going on.”