The Sherlock actress’ departure from the show was confirmed on Monday during the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two.
The professional dancer has clarified that he has ‘no plans to step back from Strictly’ and has postponed his new brand launch out of respect for his former dance partner.
Strictly professional Giovanni scrapped the launch of his upcoming cosmetic line after his celebrity partner Sherlock‘s Amanda Abbington quit the hit BBC ballroom show due to ‘personal reasons.’
Last week, the Italian hunk announced his new ‘dream’ project on his Instagram page, which was supposed to launch on October 24.
He posted the poster for his new project and captioned it: “A dream project is finally launching next week! I’m super excited to be unveiling…. well, you will have to wait until next Tuesday, 24 October, to find out at gpvita.com ! Can you guess?”
Following Amanda’s unforeseen departure, she revealed her ‘deep regret’ over quitting the show.
The actress didn’t perform on Saturday night’s live show, but it has been confirmed that Giovanni will continue to appear on Strictly to support the rest of the cast.
It is still unknown whether he will retain his spot on the BBC series next year as show bosses haven’t made their decisions yet, but sources close to the dancer have expressed to MailOnline that he has ‘no plans to leave.’
The source told the newspaper: “Giovanni is really disappointed that Amanda’s time on Strictly has come to a premature end.
“He wanted nothing more than to continue competing with her by his side.
“For Giovanni now, he will still be on the show every Saturday, supporting the rest of the cast.
“It was set to be such a big week for him with the launch of his new business, GP Vita, but after Amanda’s announcement, it didn’t feel right for him to go forward with the scheduled plan.
“Some fans are already doubting Giovanni’s place on the show next year, but those conversations won’t take place for months.
“However, he has no plans to step back from Strictly just yet.”
At the beginning of the new series, The Sun reported that Amanda was ‘threatening to quit’ after rowing with Giovanni over his ‘militant style’ during rehearsals.
During the Strictly spinoff show It Takes Two on Monday evening, it was confirmed by Fleur East that Amanda had left the competition.
On Instagram, the actress shared a picture of golden dance shoes and wrote an emotional post explaining that her withdrawal from the show was due to ‘personal reasons’ and that she’s ‘sad’ not to be progressing on the show.
She thanked the ‘incredible production’ and said it was an ‘absolute joy’ working with her fellow contestants,
However, she didn’t pay tribute to her professional partner, Giovanni, or mention his name.
On his Instagram profile, Giovanni – who has been on the show for seven years – shared a photo of the dance duo backstage with all smiles, saying he was ‘sad’ they couldn’t continue but was ‘proud’ of everything they have achieved.
Some Strictly viewers have predicted this could be Giovanni’s last season on the show, with one expressing: “I think this will be your last year… you have outgrown Strictly, and I think you know that.”
A second added: “I am devastated for you. I was supporting you both and voting. Will we still see you dance on Strictly next year?”
The past two years on the show have been challenging for Giovanni.
His last celebrity dance partner, Richie Anderson, was the second celebrity to leave the competition, with the two being plagued by rumours of arguments between them behind the scenes.
Away from the dance floor, Givonni has been successful with his new BBC travel series Adventures In Sicily alongside Anton Du Beke, as well as their touring show Him & Me.
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