Giovanni Pernice is just days away from returning to screens after ditching the BBC for an upcoming Channel 4 series.

The line-up for Celebrity Hunted has been revealed and it includes Loose Women, soap actors and pop stars, along with familiar Strictly faces.

The Channel 4 show sees a group of celebrities, AKA Fugitives, go on the run across mainland UK for 14 days as they are chased by the Hunters – a handpicked team of police and military personnel.

Hunters have access to all of the celeb’s personal information and use the ‘powers of the state’ to locate and capture them, including cyber forensic technology, ANPR, CCTV, helicopters, drones, dogs and call tracing.

They even use social media to bribe members of the public or captured contestants with monetary rewards in exchange for information on the celebs whereabouts.

Those who successfully evade capture for 14 days must reach a designated ‘extraction’ point on the final day before winning £100,000 for Stand Up To Cancer.

The line-up this year includes Strictly Come Dancing pros Giovanni Pernice, 34, and Kai Widdrington, 29.

The line-up for Celebrity Hunted has been revealed with two familiar faces from previous series making unlikely returns and a Strictly pro turning their back on the BBC
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The line-up for Celebrity Hunted has been revealed with two familiar faces from previous series making unlikely returns and a Strictly pro turning their back on the BBC

Giovanni's participation on the show marks his return to British TV after he was sacked from Strictly following a BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington's allegations that he bullied her during rehearsals
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Giovanni’s participation on the show marks his return to British TV after he was sacked from Strictly following a BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington’s allegations that he bullied her during rehearsals


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The Sicilian dancer joined the Italian version of Strictly – Ballando Con Le Stelle – instead before being cleared of ten out of 16 allegations when the BBC probe concluded in September

Emmerdale have released the first look pictures of Denise Welch as she takes on a role for the end of villain Tom King's storyline
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Emmerdale have released the first look pictures of Denise Welch as she takes on a role for the end of villain Tom King’s storyline

Giovanni’s participation on the show marks his return to British TV after he was sacked from Strictly following a BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington’s allegations that he bullied her during rehearsals.

The Sicilian dancer joined the Italian version of Strictly – Ballando Con Le Stelle – instead, before being cleared of ten out of 16 allegations when the BBC probe concluded in September.

Also joining the star-studded cast of Celebrity Hunted is Loose Women’s Denise Welch, 66, and her husband Lincoln Townley, 51.

It comes as Denise enjoys a wave of new TV jobs, including appearing on an upcoming episode of Emmerdale as a member of the jury as Tom King faces trial for abusing his wife Belle Dingle. She is also being lined up to return to Waterloo Road.

The soap stars joining Celebrity Hunted are EastEnders actress Danielle Harold, 32, and Corrie’s Kimberly Hart-Simpson, 37.

Journalists including former BBC news anchor Simon McCoy, 63, and ITV News anchor Lucrezia Millarini, 48, are also on the list of this year’s Fugitives.

Other celebs joining the show include popstar Duncan James, 46, model Christine McGuinness, 36, podcasters David Whitely, 33, and Zeze Millz, 35.