Strictly pro Luba Mushtuk addresses her and embattled dancer Giovanni Pernice’s relationship years after calling him ‘my man’.
Luba Mushtuk had a rumoured romance with Giovanni (Image: Getty)
Strictly Come Dancing pro Luba Mushtuk has addressed talk of a romance with embattled dancer Giovanni Pernice after years of speculation.
The Sun even quoted a source as saying: “She would like their romance to be out in the open.”
They were said to be friends before taking things to the next level. The details of their relationship remained a mystery with Luba only clarifying that their connection had always been rooted in friendship.
Luba and contestants pose during the ‘Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour 2023’ (Image: Getty)
Luba, who stars in the Saturday, August 10th episode of Pointless Celebrities, has not flatly denied the romance but has hinted on finding love within the Strictly family.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, the star said in 2021, “I’ve been living on my own for the past year, it’s been challenging but I try to do my best with the time that I have.
“Currently I’m very focused on my career,” she added.
“I’m definitely focused on being back after one year of not dancing, and rehearsing for the pro-tour, and then Strictly will start – and that’s what I’m focused on now.”
Giovanni has faced Luba romance rumours for years (Image: Getty)
When asked whether finding love on Strictly was a possibility, the Russian dance star candidly spoke about her relationship with her fellow cast members.
“I am in love with the Strictly family already,” she said. In 2020, the focus shifted from Luba and Giovanni to her and Italian TV star Constantino Vitagliano. However, Luba maintained a level of privacy, and refused to confirm or deny the reports.
Meanwhile, Giovanni has been romantically linked to a slew of famous women including actress, and celebrity dance partner, Georgia May Foote, The Only Way was Jess Wright, singer Ashley Roberts and Maura Higgins.
He is thought to have split up from Molly Brown. The couple went Instagram official in March with a now deleted loved-up picture on her page, reportedly captioned “Amore Mio”.
Giovanni’s ex, former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri was announced as the latest celebrity to join the 2024 series.
This has sparked some controversy amid Giovanni’s battle with the BBC series, which he left earlier this year due to the Amanda Abbington complaint about his conduct.
