Anton Du Beke has broken his silence on Giovanni Pernice following controversy about the former pro dancer's conduct during rehearsals with partner Amanda Abbington.
While any results of BBC investigations have yet to be made public, the Strictly star has been accused of "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean" behaviour by Amanda, who left the show in October 2023, citing personal reasons.
Speaking to The Sun TV Mag, the Strictly judge said: "I'd like to see him back of course, but we'll enjoy Alijaž, and his new efforts on the show this year, and we'll move forward.
"We get a whole new bunch of celebrities, and we go on from there."
Anton continued, explaining that it had been difficult to hear about the various Strictly scandals that have emerged. He said: "You never want anything unpleasant to be said about the thing you love."
Anton and Giovanni have a close friendship, having starred together in two BBC shows, Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily and another series in Spain.
When previously asked why Anton was his choice to take to his hometown for the first series, Giovanni said: "I think - well, I know why him. It's because genuinely, he's one of my best if not my best friend. We've received so many messages about the show and the thing everybody says is that it's true friendship. It's not one of those things you have to put on for TV."
He also revealed that Anton "looked after him" when he first moved to the UK for Strictly.
Anton has previously referred Giovanni as "a dear friend".
Giovanni has denied any wrongdoing, writing in a statement via Instagram: "To my dear fans, you will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week. Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name."