Inside the affluent West London riverside enclave Giovanni Pernice calls home as he steps into a new career chapter
When Giovanni Pernice left Strictly Come Dancing, public attention focused on what the decision meant for his television future. Less noticed was what he did not do. He did not leave London, sell up, or retreat from the city that shaped his career. Instead, Pernice stayed put in one of West London’s most discreetly wealthy riverside neighbourhoods.
Imperial Wharf, where the dancer keeps his London base, is not the sort of address that courts headlines. Developed in the early 2000s on former docklands beside Chelsea Harbour, it was designed to attract residents who value privacy, river views and fast access to central London over postcode flash. Today, it sits quietly between Chelsea and Fulham, with gated apartment blocks, private moorings and uninterrupted stretches of the Thames Path.
Property agents routinely describe Imperial Wharf as a “low-visibility luxury” market. Prices rival those of neighbouring Chelsea, yet the area avoids the tourist traffic and nightlife that come with more famous streets. For performers and high-profile residents, that balance is the draw. Trains from Imperial Wharf station reach Clapham Junction in minutes, placing the West End within easy reach while keeping daily life low-key.
That appeal has long attracted famous neighbours. Robbie Williams and Michael Caine are among those living close by, while Elton John and David Beckham are known to have properties in the wider Chelsea–Fulham corridor. It is a neighbourhood where celebrity is common but rarely remarked upon.
Life in Imperial Wharf revolves around the river. The Thames Path connects residents directly to Fulham, Battersea and beyond, while local venues function more like community hubs than destination hotspots. The Waterside Pub, with its broad terraces overlooking the river, is a regular fixture for locals, as is Fulham institution The Fox & Pheasant, owned by James Blunt. The area’s social scene favours familiarity over spectacle.
Pernice has also been open about his attachment to nearby dining spots, including Gola in Fulham, where he celebrated his 2021 Strictly win with Rose Ayling-Ellis. Its proximity to his home made it a regular haunt during his busiest years on the show, reinforcing the sense that his London life remained rooted even as his public profile grew.
There is a quieter symbolism to his choice of base. Pernice lives not far from where Freddie Mercury once kept a London home — a detail that resonates as his current stage tour features music by Queen alongside Prince. For a performer who has consistently framed dance as storytelling rather than competition, those influences remain close, both creatively and geographically.
As he prepares to perform at the London Palladium, Pernice’s home life tells its own story. Rather than signalling retreat after a high-profile departure from television, his continued presence in Imperial Wharf suggests continuity and control. The address reflects a performer settling into a more autonomous phase of his career — still central, still connected, but deliberately away from the noise.
In a city where celebrity homes are often used as shorthand for excess, Giovanni Pernice’s choice stands out for its restraint. Imperial Wharf offers status without spectacle, privacy without isolation — and for now, it remains the place he returns to as he reshapes his future beyond Strictly.