They have sparked romance rumours on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing.

And now Giovanni Pernice, 34, and his Italian dancing partner, Bianca Guaccero, 43, have confirmed they are dating, with Bianca claiming she had 'difficulty believing in true love' until she met him. 

In a videoclip introducing their routine in last Saturday's episode of Ballando con le Stelle, Giovanni has said: 'Bianca is my priority. She has been my priority from the beginning. She is still my priority today and will be until the end of the show and beyond.'

'Being someone's priority is something new for me. I have always been the one taking care of others', replied an emotional Bianca as she struggles for words.

'It's an amazing feeling. It's something I'm discovering at the age of forty-three.'

'Having someone next to me who is proud of me and is happy for my happiness is something new to me. This had never happened to me in my life.'

Interviewed by Monica Setta for Storie di Donne al Bivio (Stories of Women at the Crossroads) which will air on December 21, Bianca promised her partner she is ready take things further.

'Dear Giovanni, I promise you to leave out all my fears, doubts and closures. The symbolic gift I put under the Christmas tree is to believe in our possibilities'. the Italian star said in the interview.

In the last few weeks, Giovanni and Bianca have been getting to know each other, with her visiting him in London and Giovanni meeting her family in Bitonto, Southern Italy.

'I had a heavy stone on my heart, I had difficulty believing in true love. When I met Giovanni I felt at home and I was in London with him and then 24 hours with my parents', she continued.

'I wanted to introduce him to the country and the people I love'.

The professional dancer is part of the cast of the Italian series of the show after being accused of bullying on Strictly Come Dancing.

Giovanni and Bianca are being acclaimed as the best dancing duo on this year’s show. For their boogie, they got a standing ovation from Ballando con le Stelle viewers.

Despite their talent, the couple only arrived in 5th place last Saturday. The judges all agree they are talented, but some claim they are boring.

'From a technical perspective, this dance was flawless, but I did not like what I saw. It was done well, but it was boring', said judge Selvaggia Lucarelli.

'When I see other performances, I wonder, what will happen tonight? You don’t excite me as much as others.'

'Every week is the same show, it's wonderful, but I don't expect anything else from you', she said in a previous episode of the show.

'He comes from England, you can’t say he’s boring. It’s unbelievable. If they are perfect, you want them to do less', shouted Rossella Erra, viewers' ambassador, a role that is not part of the judging panel, but can award extra points to one couple each week.

'I am coming to term with the fact that, no matter what we do, that will always be the result, and I regret that', replied Bianca.

'You were excellent. You did a really difficult choreography. You were at the level of a professional couple. The synchronisation was perfect', said Carolyn Smith, the only professional dancer and choreographer in the judging panel.

'That was the best boogie seen on Ballando con le Stelle ever', said judge Ivan Zazzaroni.

During a chat with The Mail last month, Giovanni dodged answering whether romance was on the cards for the pair but did muse: 'Well, she's single'. 

Giovanni added: She's 43. She's got a child, she's brilliant. She comes to rehearsals.

'It's definitely a place of happiness, I'm happy to be able to do what I love to do.'

When asked if the pair had ever kissed in rehearsals, Giovanni replied coply: 'All I'm interested in is Bianca.

'She's great, she's a fantastic dancer. We broke the record of the most tens on the show! In 19 years of history.'

They did, however, set tongues wagging when they shared a kiss on the show, locking lips after performing a sensual Rumba routine. 

Viewers also remarked on the sexual chemistry between them.

A friend of the Sicilian star said: 'Giovanni is looking to the future and he loves dancing with Bianca, and he has a twinkle in his eye, and never more so than when you mention her.

'She is the perfect person for him to have been partnered with after the whole Amanda saga.

'He has been through a really difficult time and was thrilled to be dancing again but didn't realise he would have someone as wonderful as Bianca to do that with.'

Giovanni has been single since splitting from British model Molly Brown, 24, in the summer.

Sources close to the couple told The Mirror that Giovanni has been 'under a lot of stress', and there has been a string of arguments between them, after he quit Strictly in May following accusations he bullied celebrity partner Amanda Abbington.

The source said: 'Giovanni and Molly grew very close, very quickly, after they split up the first time and got back together.

'Their relationship has been pretty full on. But they have rowed again recently and it all came to a head earlier this week, when they called it quits.

'Molly has been very supportive of Giovanni, but he has been under a lot of stress lately and that has taken its toll. It is not impossible they will try to give things another go once the dust has settled a little, after all, they have done that before.' 

Bianca is also single since splitting with her director husband Dario Acocella in 2017. The couple have a daughter called Alice.

If things take a romantic turn on the show will be something Giovanni is used to.

When paired with Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote in 2015 – Giovanni's first year on Strictly – they began dating.

He also found love with singer Ashley Roberts who appeared on Strictly in 2018 though they were not a pair – she danced with Pasha Kovalev.

In 2022, Giovanni was linked to fellow Strictly professional Jowita Przystal, who is Polish.

This year he joined Ballando con le Stelle after dramatically quitting Strictly in the midst of Amanda Abbington's abuse allegations.