Giovanni Pernice melts hearts with emotional family reunion

The Strictly Come Dancing star shared the adorable moment to social media

Senior Online Writer

June 14, 2023Jun 14, 2023, 5:46 PM GMT+1

Former Strictly champion Giovanni Pernice will no doubt have delighted his fans when he shared the sweetest moment on Instagram on Wednesday.

The dancer returned to his home country of Italy, where he was greeted by his loved ones, including his young godson.

Giovanni took to his Stories to share a short clip that showed himself walking through the arrivals gate, where the little boy was waiting to greet him.

WATCH: Giovanni Pernice's emotional family reunion with young godson

Gio scooped him up, beaming as he did so, and gave him a hug and a kiss, adding the Toy Story song You've Got a Friend in Me to the cute scene. He captioned the video: "My godson," and added a red heart emoji.

Giovanni Pernice smiling at the UK premiere of 'Black Adam' — The dancer is close to his family

The star still makes time for his family and friends, even though his life has been very busy recently. He sparked a huge reaction among his fans over the weekend when he teased the announcement of his latest "dream project".

Giovanni Pernice at the TRIC Awards — Giovanni has been on Strictly since 2015

Taking to Instagram, the 32-year-old posted a snapshot of himself sitting at a desk alongside a laptop, a notebook, and what appeared to be a new contract.

Giovanni Pernice smiling in his smart tuxedo — The star returns to Italy when he can

In the photo, Giovanni was snapped signing one of the pages with a ballpoint pen. Captioning the new picture, Giovanni wrote: "Can't wait to share with you all what I have been up to. One of my dream projects finally is coming to life! Let's play the game… Can you guess what it is?"

Giovanni appearing to sign a new contract — Giovanni teased some exciting news

He went on to say: "Thank u @jumeirahzs for having me and of course thank you to @trendingtravel for organising this exciting and fun trip! [black heart emoji]".

Unsurprisingly, fans and friends raced to the comments section to share their thoughts, with one eager fan penning: "My guess - launching your own cologne/aftershave/toiletries range? Whatever it is, wishing you all success!" while a second noted: "Whatever it is, it is obviously very exciting… Your success has been phenomenal. It's so well deserved."

Since lifting the glitterball trophy with his dance partner Rose Ayling-Ellis back in 2021, Giovanni has dabbled in a variety of exciting projects.

Giovanni Pernice and Rose Ayling-Ellis lift Strictly glitterball — Giovanni and Rose won Strictly Come Dancing in 2021

In the world of TV, the Sicilian dancer joined forces with his Strictly co-star Anton Du Beke for a travel series called Giovanni and Anton: Adventures In Sicily.

Giovanni embracing Anton du Beke — Giovanni and Anton's show was a big hit

Their show – which first aired in March this year - is a three-part factual series that sees the duo jet off to Giovanni's native region for the holiday of a lifetime.

MORE: Strictly Come Dancing tattoos: From Neil Jones to Oti Mabuse, Giovanni Pernice and Gorka Márquez

The BBC's official description reads: "Strictly's Anton du Beke and Giovanni Pernice head off on a sun-soaked adventure. Expect breathtaking sights, bromance and sublime Sicilian cuisine – and maybe even a tango or two."

The actress was joined by fellow Strictly stars Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke — Giovanni's former Strictly partner Rose Ayling-Ellis joined the pair in Italy

Much to the delight of the duo's fans, Giovanni and Anton: Adventures In Sicily has since been nominated for an award at this year's National Television Awards.

Over on Instagram, Giovanni's fans were quick to send congratulatory messages. Reacting to a video announcement, one fan gushed: "Best program I've seen on TV for a long time. Magic happened when Rose joined the two of you," while a second enthused: "My fave double act".

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