I can talk to him about everything...he's like a big brother

Anton and Giovanni: Adventures in Sicily sees the Strictly duo explore Giovanni Pernice’s island home. They tell RACHAEL DAVIS their highlights

LESS sequins and salsas, more suntans and seaside: Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice are swapping the ballroom for the Italian island of Sicily for their new series Anton and Giovanni: Adventures in Sicily.

Giovanni, 32, is Anton’s guide as the duo discover everything Giovanni’s beloved Mediterranean home has to offer, from stunning natural sights like Mount Etna, charming old towns, delicious Sicilian cuisine and even a bit of dancing for good measure. “We did lots of lovely things,” says Anton, 56.

“It’s where Giovanni’s from, (he) took me round... You could feel a lovely sense of journey about it, so it felt lovely. 

“I really, really enjoyed going around the place.” 

“You knew quite a lot about it,” he adds to Giovanni.

“Some of the stuff you knew about, the sort of history of it was fascinating, really.”

“I think the most beautiful experience is the fact that we were spending time together,” adds Giovanni.

“And sometimes we ended up (doing) things that I wouldn’t expect in a million years – to see Anton paddleboarding, for instance!”

The show will be a chance for Strictly fans to see their favourites in a brand new light as they road trip across the beautiful island, from learning about the culture Giovanni grew up in to seeing the ballroom stars take part in the wildest of activities. “(We did) things that I don’t expect in my head to see Anton doing!” laughs Giovanni.