Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice ‘shed tears of joy’ in ‘emotional’ Adventures in Sicily

Virgin Radio

14 Mar 2023, 12:45

Strictly Come Dancing stars Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice weren’t expecting to feel so emotional about their upcoming travel series, Anton and Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily.

The celebrated dancers have joined forces for their very first TV show together, which will see them travel to Giovanni’s native Sicily to experience all the island has to offer, as well as some rather touching moments with the Italian star’s family. 

The three-part series was born out of Giovanni not being able to visit his hometown since the coronavirus pandemic, and Strictly judge and good friend Anton jumped at the chance to explore the Mediterranean shores. 

Speaking at a Q&A ahead of the launch on Monday 21st March, Giovanni shared why this felt like the right time to “pay back” Anton for all he’s done for him in his career, from their early days on Strictly to now. 

Giovanni explained: “[Anton] did look after me when I came to this country, and this was my time to say, ‘you know what? Now it’s my time to do it for you.’

“Genuinely it was nice, watching as an outsider, when he met my family because Anton’s always been my family away from home, so it combined the two families, my real family and my family away from home, which is Anton. 

“I stepped back and I was like ‘this is beautiful’. It’s one of those moments in my life when I feel proud of myself and happy that everything works. That’s how it felt when I see my dad and Anton hugging, it was a special moment.”

Giovanni added that he was happy to “shed tears of joy” after his dad, a self-confessed Anton fan, and the dancer himself finally met. 

“[My dad] always said to me, ‘one day, you have to be like [Anton], otherwise I'm not happy enough’, Gio joked.  

“The moment when they connect to each other was a beautiful thing to watch. I'm seeing a friend that I admire and my dad getting together. It's beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful.”

Anton admitted he very much felt the same about meeting Giovanni’s family, especially with his own by his side while filming. 

Calling the moment they all meet for the first time “the highlight of my life,” the Strictly stalwart added: “Every time I’ve [watched the show], my heart just explodes with pride and gratitude as well. You just want to go ‘thank you for letting me do this.’ It is joyous.”

Anton and Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Monday 21st March.