Shirley Ballas has issued a cryptic message on social media, urging her followers to avoid being ‘recruited to hate another person’ amid the investigation targeting pal Giovanni Pernice.

The Strictly Come Dancing head judge, 63, has been outspoken about her support for the choreographer, 33, who has come under fire following his exit from the BBC One competition, earlier this year.

Giovanni has been targeted with allegations of misconduct backstage, prompting the Beeb to launch an investigation into the claims, mostly stemming from his partnership with Amanda Abbington.

Taking to her Instagram account this Wednesday evening (August 14, 2024), Shirley Ballas shared an enigmatic post on her story warning her admirers about hating “another person who hasn’t wronged you.”

Shirley has explicitly offered support to Giovanni Pernice on multiple occasions
Shirley has explicitly offered support to Giovanni Pernice on multiple occasions ( 
Image:
Shirley Ballas Instagram)

The head judge posted another cryptic message on her Instagram story this Wednesday
The head judge posted another cryptic message on her Instagram story this Wednesday ( 
Image:
Instagram)

The message read: “One mistake you should never make in this life is to allow yourself to be recruited, by someone, to hate another person who hasn’t wronged you. Only a fool inherits other people’s enemies as a sign of loyalty.”

As mentioned, Shirley Ballas has explicitly expressed her support for Giovanni Pernice, telling The Daily Mirror during an exclusive chat at Chorleywood Memorial Hall: “I know he is a hard worker. He wants the people to do the very best that they can do. Obviously in my life I was bullied a lot.”

“I don’t condone bullying on any path but also I don’t believe gossip and what you read in the newspapers because things get escalated and they are blown way out of all proportion and it can turn into a great big snowball.”

“So my feeling for Giovanni is, let them do this investigation or whatever it is they are doing and the truth will come out. So we don’t judge anybody until I know absolutely 100 per cent.”

“I won’t pass on the gossip unless I know 100 per cent it is true. I have never ever, ever experienced any ill will or bad feeling or bad sportsmanship or rudeness from him. He will be missed”, she added, in reference to his axing from the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

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But while her friendship with the Sicilian is strong, BBC bosses have asked her to rein back her comments as the investigation concerning him continues with new evidence. “Shirley has been told she needs to rein it in and not talk about Giovanni in the context of the case”, a source told The Daily Mirror. “It’s such a complex thing that we can’t have people associated with the show speaking out about it.”

Giovanni Pernice has vowed to clear his name in the probe and denied all allegations of “abusive behaviour”, while Amanda Abbington has maintained her side of the crisis.