Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice may only be 32, but the Italian has already considered a life after dance.
He has dedicated his life to performing, moving away from his family to train at dance school aged just 14.
Despite being in peak physical condition, the popular star has previously indicated he can envisage a future doing other things.
Since joining Strictly in 2015, Gio has won the Glitterball trophy with Rose Ayling-Ellis.
And Gio he has also reached the finals with Georgia May Foote, Debbie McGee and Faye Tozer.
However, his 2022 partnership with Richie Anderson barely got out of the blocks, as they were the second couple eliminated on the series.
And so, concerned admirers might very well ask, when will Giovanni Pernice retire as a pro dancer?
The man himself had his say earlier this year.
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice on his dance future
Speaking with The Guardian earlier this year, Gio touched on how he looks after his body and brain after performances.
He said at the time he doesn’t struggle with calming down off stage after his adrenaline has been raised by dancing.
However, Giovanni did acknowledge that at some point a dancer’s body doesn’t work in quite the same way as it may once have.
And so, it seems he may have a plan for life after dancing… and Strictly.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t sound like Giovanni has a quiet early retirement planned.
He said in the August 2022 interview: “I’ve been dancing for 23 years and I plan to do three or four more years, then try something else.
“I can’t imagine I’d ever lie on a sofa doing nothing, though. It sounds boring. I don’t know the meaning of the word lazy.”
‘I realised what I wanted to be’
In the same interview, Giovanni also opened up about his family history – and how he became entranced by dancing.
He joked he misbehaved as a child, even though his father was a policeman.
However, he added at the time how dancing was already ‘taking over his life’.
And Giovanni first fell in love with performance as he watched an Italian dance show on TV as a child.
I loved how movement allowed you to express yourself in a way I’d never seen.
He recalled: “I saw the chemistry between the boys and the girls as they competed, and I loved how movement allowed you to express yourself in a way I’d never seen. It was in that moment I realised what I wanted to be.”
‘I fell in love with dancing so naturally’
Driven Giovanni also addressed how his ambitions were received.
He noted how, even as a strong-willed individual, he experienced teasing for wanting to be a dancer.
But his family accepted and supported his goals. And Gio went on to joke those who mocked him for his dreams later came pleading for a job.
Giovanni added: “Some people think it’s strange that I was so sure about my ambitions at such a young age, but I fell in love with dancing so naturally.”
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