Strictly champion Giovanni Pernice cha chas back to Manchester

Strictly‘s reigning champion, Giovanni Pernice, is a very busy man as of late. Alongside his tour with Strictly dancer-turned-judge Anton Du Beke, Him & Me – which we reviewed last year – Pernice is embarking on a stellar solo tour, with a stop at Manchester’s glorious Bridgewater Hall next month.

Pernice’s solo tour, This is Me – goes well with Him & Me, doesn’t it? – was cut short in 2020 due to the C-word pandemic. The Italian heartthrob was devastated to have to put the 2020 tour on hold just a couple of weeks after opening night, performing just a handful of shows. What we thought would only be a couple of months turned into a couple of years, but Pernice’s success only grew over the pandemic, stealing hearts with his dance partner Ranvir Singh in 2020 before winning the show with Rose Ayling-Ellis last year.

Pernice has become a firm fan favourite, having been a professional dancer on the hit BBC TV show since 2015 and has reached the final three times, with Georgia May Foote, Debbie McGee, and Faye Tozer, respectively. He kept hoping all his dreams would come true and he could win the coveted Glitter Ball trophy: “I dream about that trophy every night, you know, it’s what it means to you!! I would love to sleep next to that trophy for the rest of my life!! But seriously, I just feel very lucky to have been on the show for so long and to have had such great partners.”

In 2021, that dream came true. Finally, as he himself puts it: “No longer the bridesmaid, but the bride!”

Giovanni and Rose made Strictly history with Rose being the first ever deaf contestant on the show and go on to win. They also made a massive impact with their iconic show dance, an extremely special moment in history with the pair dancing in complete silence with millions watching on TV. If that wasn’t enough, Giovanni also received the earliest ever perfect score in the show’s history, as well as overtaking former professional dancer Pasha Kovalev to receive the most ever 10s.

Whilst his acclaimed tour was sadly cut shown, the heartthrob has risen – just in time for Easter – wooing audiences all around the country with his charisma and charm.

With the majority of dates unsurprisingly sold out, audiences are looking forward to watching the champion in action live on stage. The showman is set to light up the stage once again, along with his cast of professional dancers and singers, for another fabulous year of touring. With the Italian’s natural charm, combined with beautiful choreography perfectly complemented by a fabulous soundtrack, This is Me pays homage to the music and dances that have inspired Giovanni’s career, from a competition dancer to one of the biggest names on the hit BBC show.

Pernice calls This is Me his “biggest and best ever tour to date”. It’s pretty different to anything he’s ever done before: “I just want to try and do something different, something that you haven’t seen before. I want to challenge myself and show off my hidden talents!”

Giovanni Pernice’s This is Me plays at the Bridgewater Hall on 8th Manchester, before continuing its UK tour until the end of May. Much of the tour is sold out, and the Manchester date has very few tickets left – so cha cha your way to the website and get those tickets!

When This is Me wraps, Pernice will continue the Him & Me tour, with Anton Du Beke, in June and July – playing at the Lowry (Lyric Theatre) on 26th June.

After a break from touring – and the next series of Strictly – Pernice will take his brand-new Made in Italy tour on the road, from January to May 2023 – playing at the Lowry (Lyric Theatre) on 27th January.

So, that’s three different shows to cha-cha-choose from – or why not see them all?!

For more Giovanni Pernice content, check out the review we did of Him & Me last year.