I don't think she will Ochre, she has more sense/class than that. She's tweeted that it's rubbish and I think that's as far as she will go. Personally I don't think for one minute that Giovanni's "camp" has anything to do with this spiteful article. It smacks far more to me of someone who has a very personal grudge against Laura.

I read the article the OP posted and basically it had two competing sources that said opposite things regarding Laura and Gio. One had Laura being a bully and the other had Gio being cold and impatient. So let's take the entire thing with a huge pinch of salt.

Does Giovanni even have a 'camp' lol?

I find him extremely calculating. The showmance with Georgia, before his conveniently timed dumping of her just before the series started. I said at the time that was so he could have a showmance with Laura and I stand by that, shame for him she wasn't desperate enough to go there

Yes, yes to more airtime for Gorka instead of Gio BTW!

The thing is, when you take part in Strictly (and the same would apply to any TV show which has a competitive/public vote format), you will be expected to 'play the game'. It's understandable not to be comfortable doing it - I think the comedy VTs are daft, so I have some sympathy with anyone who is unhappy at the prospect of having to do them. However, they're part of the show, so it's silly really to be making a fuss about them, especially as Laura, a self-confessed Strictly fan, will have been aware of them prior to signing up.

Before the start of this series I would have agreed with you 100% but I did actually feel quite sorry for Giovanni when all the social media nonsense started with people complaining about him being "insensitive" for posting a photograph of himself at the Strictly studio

Sun article here.

Makes a change from a rabbit, I suppose.

Laura has said via Twitter 'so far off the truth, there's not even a point in commenting '

I understand that Laura was unhappy with filming a VT on the red carpet at the Pride of Britain awards. Quite possibly because the Pride of Britain is all about celebrating acts of courage including overcoming disabilities and severe illness. Not exactly the BAFTAs. Laura does a fair amount of charity work and may well have had a bit of a view about how inappropriate it was. (Closer magazine picked up on some of this at the time).

The VT, with Joan Collins was shown during Laura and Gio's final dance, the Samba, which had a Red Carpet theme.

Gio and Laura did not do many joint appearances during her time on Strictly - I personally put that down to avoiding the 'Romance' story lines.

Dan Wootton's story in the Sun was not helpful to either Laura or Gio. However, I am sceptical about stories that rely on someone's 'tone and general rudeness' (in this case, Gio) as it means that the journalist does not actually have any quotes that are reliably sourced.

People will believe what they want to believe.

I thought the report said she was reluctant to do them - that could be nothing more than Laura saying why do we have to spend 3 hours filming a 2 minute VT when we could be training.

That doesn't explain why Daisy would have anything to do with any gossip about Gio and Laura's partnership though.

Daisy and Gio are just two unattached people who have something currently in common with each other and with the two people they had dinner with.

My computer refuses to open that article, is it suggesting that Giovanni and Daisy are having a thing?

Nope. Not in the slightest. It simply attempts to ram home the message that Laura was not present, in order to lend weight to their assertion that Laura and Giovanni "hate" each other.

Make of that what you will.

No it suggests Laura's been left out of the close-knit group.

Laura and Daisy were friends before Strictly and it's the public meddling in their friendship I'm concerned with.

Completely agree Nina.

Ah, okay. Thanks Ochre.

Oh, I would imagine that somewhere in the middle of the various 'sides' is the truth - and it probably involves a sticky start, work commitments and an injury.

Just feel sorry for any Strictly celeb who finds themselves in the middle of a juggernaut storyline that just careers out of control.

My eyes did roll upwards when I read in the Daily Fail..

‘Laura is not a very good dancer,' the source continued. 'She was only good when she was in hold so doing the waltz or the quickstep but when she was dancing out of hold, for example the cha-cha-cha you could see she wasn’t very good.'

I mean, shock horror, the VERY IDEA that a lady celebrity learning to dance is BETTER IN HOLD. Who would ever have thought etc etc.

So the Secret Source basically.... agreed with the judges' scores. How totally unexpected.

How shocking that a lady celebrity's Week 1 Latin dance, the Cha Cha Cha, did not immediately score perfect 10s from every judge, just a realistic 25.

Laura came to Strictly as one of the 'journey' contestants with very little dance background. Her Latin certainly improved steadily across the Cha Cha Cha, Salsa and Samba despite the leg injury. Once she hurt her leg, realistically, she was on borrowed time on the show.

Or, why do I have to dangle from a hoist and jump on a trampette when I can barely stand?

Well, quite.

For balance - here is Laura's statement via Twitter

'I believe in kindness. I am heart broken by the complete lies that have been printed today'

She has clarified to say tweet is not about Dan's article. Sorry if I didn't make that clear'

Dan's article = Dan Wootton of the Sun.

So... it seems it is the Daily Mail article that Laura says contains 'complete lies'

Laura's now tweeted 'I believe in kindness. I am heart broken by the complete lies that have been printed today.'

I think she should say something as her professional reputation is being damaged.

The replies from Dan Wooton have been deleted. What a lovely gentleman he is ... not.

She either says nothing more at all and lets the tabloids move on.

Or there is a joint interview with Gio that pours a lot of oil on troubled waters.

You could almost think that someone is mischief making against both Laura and Gio.

That is most definitely what is going on in my view. What have either Giovanni or Laura got to gain by criticising each other? Nothing. Whereas there are clearly some who have a very bitter and vindictive reason to discredit both Giovanni and Laura. Hell hath no fury.