Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts has been in talks to be part of this year's line-up of Strictly Come Dancing after wowing bosses with her performance on the Christmas special.
The 38 year old star has been on a UK tour with the group made up of Cheryl Tweedy, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle. A source said: "Nicola is a beautiful dancer with amazing musicality.She was really impressive on the Strictly special and her waltz was beautiful. They’d love to have Nicola back and the offer is there for her. She has got a jam-packed summer with Girls Aloud but Strictly think she could be amazing if she fancied a whirl."
At the time, Nicola was partnered with Giovanni Pernice, who has recently been at the centre of controversy as he's been accused of "threatening and abusive" behaviour during training sessions, by Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington and Laura Whitmore.
Nicola narrowly missed out on being crowned winner of the BBC dance show by EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. Despite losing out on holding up the coveted trophy, she said: "I said I wanted fun and it has been fun." A Strictly spokesman told The Sun: “We do not comment on speculation."
Speculation of the professional dancer's future is still hanging in the balance as the BBC's investigation continues. The broadcaster has reportedly launched an internal investigation after receiving complaints from his previous celebrity dance partners. But it seems the Italian dancer could repair the damage to his reputation, according to PR expert, Edward Coram James.
Last year, Amanda Abbington quit the series citing personal reasons but she later admitted she had been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder following her time with Giovanni on the BBC show. And it was also reported that Amanda told friends Giovanni was "abrasive" during training sessions. But the actress was not the only one who stepped forward to claim his training style was "militant."
Giovanni has denied any wrongdoing but a source said he has decided to quit Strictly to pursue other career opportunities. A source told The Sun: "Gio feels the scrutiny on him has become too much, and now is the time to make a fresh start." However, PR guru Edward said there may be a way back for him but he should start by releasing a statement to "get ahead."
He told The Mirror: "He should acknowledge that his training can be intense, but that there is a key difference between intense and toxic - that he pursues perfection in himself, and so demands the same from those he works with. And, if that doesn't work for them, then they shouldn't work with him." He added: "Brilliance requires sacrifice… that sort of thing. So long as the allegations don't end up being too nefarious, I believe that the public will sympathise with this position and respect the integrity behind it."
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads