Giovanni Pernice to be paired with Richie Anderson on Strictly?

Giovanni Pernice is reportedly set to be part of a same-sex pairing in this year's 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

Show bosses are believed to have paired Giovanni, 31 - who won last year's series with Rose Ayling-Ellis, 27 - with presenter Richie Anderson, 34, when the show returns later this year and the pair have already been tipped to win the glitterball trophy.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Some of Gio's fellow pros have raised eyebrows about chat of him getting Richie.

"The last two same sex couples have done really well and the feeling is that whoever gets Richie could go all the way and win it.

"Winning two on the bounce would be great for Gio — but not all of his colleagues feel the same way."

Giovanni previously revealed he would love a male partner on the show, following 2021's successful pairing of professional Johannes Radebe with chef John Waite.

He said: "If the production people come to me and say ‘listen Giovanni we’d love you to be partnered with a man’, I’d say ‘yes’.

“I am more than ready to be partnered with a man.

“It would give me a chance to challenge myself with new routines, you have to think more about it.

"I love challenging myself."

And insiders admitted Giovanni has even been thinking about how to choreograph a same-sex routine.

A source said: “Giovanni is really keen for the challenge and wants to show fans he can dance just as well with a man as with a woman.

“He is extremely competitive and already has lots of ideas for the choreography.”