Well done Issfan not surprised you are pleased

Feel lucky he is coming to Scotland and it is even better I can get to see him!!!!! Neither venue is close to me but my son lives near one of the venues. Awesome!!!!

Thanks for the info re radio interviews. Hope someone manages to track down at least one of them. I am off for a few days break so I won't get a chance to hear any live. Does he not know he has eager fans waiting to hear his every word? :

I caught up with Gio's interview on Radio Cornwall, with David White at around 10.15 this morning. It was the usual 5 minute interview for a morning guest and Gio did fairly well - his English has improved so much since last year. He still relies a bit heavily on 'different' and 'amazing' though

The interview was in two parts, the first half was about Strictly and the second half about Gio's tour. David White clearly does watch Strictly and was a friendly interviewer, I would say!

I made some notes -

Part 1
How is your routine looking for the weekend with the pros?

We are doing a Contemporary dance number – quite different from the usual group numbers which are ballroom and Latin. It is going to be fine and I hope you enjoy it.

The pro numbers have been good this year?

Yes. Different this year, really really different. Last week we did West Side Story which was I think one of the best we have done so far. I really enjoyed that one. Each week we try to do something different. We have an amazing choreographer so for us it is easy to dance these amazing numbers.

As a pro, when you were dancing with Laura, did you enjoy the themed weeks or do they get in the way sometimes?

Well, when you do different weeks like Halloween or Musical Week, its something different and you will really enjoy it more than the usual show. But you need to always be careful about what you are doing on the show, even if it is Halloween, like us we did the Tango in Halloween Week, you have to be careful to stay in the rules of the dance, you can't go far way from the rules of Tango. So its enjoyable, but you always have to be a bit careful.

Are you disappointed that you didn't get further this year

Well.. I mean of course you want to arrive at the final every year, you want to be good. But its an amazing competition this year, isn't it. We did everything we could do. I am quite pleased with what we did.

And cunningly wearing headphones so we can't see whether the earrings are back for good...or just for salsa

EDIT. Thanks for the write up Lady L!!


Enjoy your break Issfan, hope you're off somewhere nice

Part 2

You are taking your own show on the road this year?

Indeed. It's the first time actually and I'm quite excited about this.

What is your show going to comprise?

My show is called Dance is Life, I think ...we don't want to do just normal dancing, we are just telling a story it's going to be something more than just dancing we are going to have live singers, two or three couples, and another surprise that I won't tell you now.

(Laughing) Is that because you don't know?

No. Its because you should come and watch me!

So... Its going to have a bit of a story running through it.

Yes. 100% yes. It is going to be like telling a story because its not a normal show – it is going to be beautiful, I promise you.

Do you have a say in the story or has someone written it for you?

I have a producer, we met with someone who helped tell the story, its a group of people not just me.

The interview continued but I missed the rest of it...

Off to a stunning part of Scotland which is so busy in summer but is much more relaxing at this time of year. Our weather is unseasonably mild just now with a fair bit of sun so I hope it stays that way. Nice to drop out of the Xmas preparations for a little while.

Thanks for the write up LadyLavender. Earring detectives will be on the look out at all times.

Have a lovely break. And just for you Issfan... a write-up

So.. there is a mystery surprise in his tour! Well that will get people 'exaited'

I must say that Gio needs to practice his 'elevator pitch' for Dance is Life a bit more - I would give it 6/10 right now and I am in a generous mood

Ooh thank you so much Lady L. Intrigued about the surprise now, also who other dancers could be, and whether they'll change up throughout the tour or use the same ones. Questions questions...!

Loads of questions I know! The surprise, from how he phrased it, relates to the dancers in some way. So I am guessing it is a familiar name - so either a pro or..... a celeb

First real confirmation that he has a producer - I guess probably the same producer that Ian Waite uses as that seems to be the connection - and also someone who has put together a professional book for the show. Thank goodness.

I don't think Gio was on Radio Sheffield live this morning - but he might have done some recorded interviews which might pop up later in the week.

The David White programme is up online. The interview starts at around 1 hour 15 and continues for about 7 minutes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04ftq0w#play

Here is Part 3.

Strictly has been a massive success on TV and has allowed all you pro dancers to go out and do these shows.

Again, yes Strictly has been really successful for me and I want to try to bring something of Strictly to my show ( this bit was a bit confused). What I want to do is put something different in my show instead of Ballroom and Latin – just do something different. You can watch me and all the professional dancers on Strictly doing Ballroom and Latin – so when you do your own show, you want to put something different in it.

The thing that you have to compete with - when you are on Strictly it is set beautifully and you have to make sure that your show has a wonderful set as well

I will try to do my best. (Laughs) I can't compare with Strictly because Strictly is really really big – but I will try to do my best.

The people who will come and see you will have seen you on TV ….?

Yes I know. That is why I won't let them down. I am confident. You know I have my arm tattoo Born to Win, or in Italian nato per vincere, so I think I will do my best

You specialise in Latin.. so I assume there is going to be some Latin in this show.

There is going to be everything. I specialise in Latin because I was a Latin Champion but I can always dance ballroom. There will be all of them (dance styles). There will be Argentine Tango , Salsa... all the types of dancing.

Where can we get details?

On the website. Or call directly the theatres..

One final question.. who is going to win Strictly?

Me.. next year!

It's important work you know

Hope the weather stays sunny for you.

OMG baby Gio dancing the jive! https://twitter.com/pernicegiovann1/...80284822175744

Awwwwww

Totally cute

And how good was he even at that age! Very very impressive.

Aww that is super cute! I think that is Claudia Fragapane's mum who has commented too.

I expect we've all seen this one but someone has posted on Twitter and well, any excuse...

Gorka arresting Gio

Oh yes.. Officer Gorka arresting Gio for crimes against fabulousness again

Just musing about that cute mini-Gio jive clip... And making a connection to the pro challenge...

We have had Gorka and Oksana. Tonight is Kevin and Karen - and Kevin would definitely be up there on my list to win the challenge. But the winner is often the last person that ITT show. And.. well... Gio hasn't been on yet.

Gio and Gorka are out shopping (well, larking about) in a department store and have both put up Insta stories. I expect they are being followed by security

And I have a horrible suspicion that they are in John Lewis - IS NOTHING SACRED etc etc

Well I hope that he is buying Christmas presents for the family in Sicily

Seriously... will nobody give Gio a shirt with buttons... it is getting far too chilly for this sort of look .

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNxLoAID...ernicegiovann1

And on the pro Jive challenge.. it was Neil and Katya today. (Hilarious number of disqualifications ) So still down to Kevin or Gio then.

Why does this never happen when I go Christmas shopping!

https://twitter.com/jillykeith/statu...14465099517953

The lady standing in between Gorka and Gio looks rather thrilled. Why could that be

One of the interviews with Gio yesterday was BBC Radio Berkshire with Phil Kennedy.

You can listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04gd6v6 The full interview is at around 1:40 for 10 minutes - Phil broadcast a shorter clip earlier in the show.

I made a few notes - this was a much better interview I thought

Phil started by asking Gio about the semi finals this week – he has danced against all the finalists, what does he think of them?

Well, I think they are all brilliant and all amazing dancers – you don't know who is going to win because they are all amazing. It is a tough competition this year!

You were in the final last year, so you know all about it. They must be feeling it physically at this stage.

Yes 100%. You need to focus until the end, until the final, and try each week to focus 100%

Last year with Georgia, when you reached the semi-final, you had to prepare two dances – that must be tough.

Yes, especially for the celebrities. For us also (the professional dancers) it is tough because you have to choreograph two dances. For the celebrities, two dances is even more difficult because you have to remember the steps, together with the music and switch character. For us (Georgia and Gio) last year, we did the Cha Cha Cha and the VW, so Ballroom and Latin, so we had to switch character which is definitely not easy. But all of them (the semi-finalists) are really good dancers so I think they will be fine.

So this series with Laura, where was Laura in that first training session, did you ask yourself 'How is this going to work?' or could she pick up steps quite quickly?

In the beginning you don't have any idea how the celebrities are going to be or about their personality. You just try to understand by eye, if I can be partnered with Laura or not, that is the beginning of the show. But when I got Laura I was really pleased, because she could dance and she had rhythm, so I was really, really lucky. I mean, all of them this year, since week 1, were brilliant. Even Melvin, who left the show in Week 2, and Tameka. Everybody, there were a lot of good dancers.

I remember speaking to Anton. He really likes teaching someone from scratch how to ballroom dance. Do you find that teaching easy?

Well, the thing is, I really prefer to teach someone who has never danced before because you can show people the journey, that is why we are there, professional dancers teaching people who never danced before, and if on a Saturday night you enjoy the performance from my celebrities, it's good for me because I did my job well, I did my job right, that is what the show is about – teaching people how to dance. So when someone becomes a good dancer, like Georgia last year or Laura this year, it's just because, all of us professional dancers, we put ourselves in it 100% and when they are good dancers, it's good for us because it means that we are good teachers.

Looking at the whole Strictly experience, you joined last year, you had seen the show on the TV, what is it like to be part of it on TV?

For me it is absolutely the dream come true. I love being part of Strictly come Dancing. I never thought in my life I would be part of something that big. I have always been a professional dancer, always been part of the competition world, and I never thought I would be part of the biggest show in the UK. So I am really, really lucky.

When you were growing up in Sicily, was it always dance for you?

I was always dancing all my life. I have been dancing now for almost 20 years. I have never stopped. Being here now is like 'Wow' (laughs) It is something that I have achieved and I hope it will never stop.

You are about to do a UK tour next year. That is the power of Strictly , suddenly people are stopping you in the street and asking for selfies and autographs. I bet that never happened before.

Never (laughs). I never thought that. But to be honest with you, I absolutely love it. When people recognise you on the street, it is because of the show but I always say that I want people to recognise me as a good dancer, not as a TV personality, because that is what we are. I am speaking about my colleagues as well, we want that people recognise us as professional dancers, as good dancers. And now doing my own tour, that people are buying tickets to come and watch me dance, is something else. It really, really pleases me.

What have you got planned for your tour?

I am doing my tour around the UK, which I never thought to do! (Laughs) Never, never, seriously, never. It looks great. We are selling a lot of tickets for Christmas, as Christmas presents, and it's going good. I am really nervous, but really excited as well.

Yes.. the thing is – it's your tour isn't it (laughs)?

Yes exactly. So every time I see my name I think 'It's not me'! It is petrifying because, they come to watch me, they don't come to watch Strictly, they come to watch me, so I need to be good, every single night.

Well, I am sure it isn't a problem. Just out of interest you mention that you dance all the time, I imagine your constant worry is an injury or something

Yes. We are still human so we can injure ourselves. Hopefully not! You need to be careful all the time. We will dance a lot. There will be 15 routines so it is going to be really hard and really difficult. I have an amazing team around me and they will look after me.

15 routines! That is a lot to remember.

Maybe more! It is not just chatting or music, we are going to tell a story – there is no microphone between the audience and the dancers – it will be just dancing.

Wow – that sounds powerful Now finally, as we get to the final.. you have had that experience, it is going to be a bit strange without Len isn't it, as he leaves this year.

Len is Len, and we are going to miss him so much, because Len is the biggest part of the show. I have been there for 2 years and I am going to miss him so much.

It will be interesting to see who takes over!

I can't wait to see who is going to judge me next year! So we will see. I am really excited, well all of us are really excited, to know who is going to be the next one..

On the subject of judging, what is it like to face Craig the first time - it must be terrifying.

Actually, Craig is not really how he appears on television. He is actually one of the most fun people I have ever met in my life. He is just on the show sometimes a little bit grumpy, he is funny. The first time on the show I was more petrified of Len than Craig. If you remember last year I had a small thing (laughs) with Len about my rumba – he wanted just a little bit more content. I learned a lesson! But I was new last year so I didn't know what the judge really wants. So for me Len really helped me, but Craig, Bruno and Darcy are all amazing. You have watched the show, you can see they are all beautiful people.

A few interesting bits and pieces in that interview - and I was glad to hear Gio saying positive things about both Georgia and Laura.

afternoon .... how exciting .... you forgot to mention what a fab choreographer he is

thank you so much for typing up Gio's interviews, which must have taken you a long time, I like his reply to the question "who is going to win Strictly?" ......"me, next year"


yes, he's definately all those things .... hope you have a good break Issfan


that's lovely ... he moves well, even at that age


lucky Gorka

I will never get tired of that Gorka & Gio gif.

The winner of the pro challenge on ITT, will put in a spoiler - I hope it works

About the one positive he can take from Strictly this year.