Is there a chill in the air? Laura Whitmore wraps up warm in pink coat as she enjoys Somerset House ice rink party...amid claims she 'bullied' Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice

By Joanna Crawley and Jason Chester for MailOnline

Published: 21:12 GMT, 16 November 2016 | Updated: 22:04 GMT, 16 November 2016

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She's been hit by some jaw-dropping allegations this week, regarding her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

But Laura Whitmore brushed off the controversy on Wednesday night as she headed for a fun night out in central London.

The Irish beauty looked gorgeous in a cosy pink coat as she joined her pals at the launch of the Somerset House ice rink.

Is there a chill in the air? Laura Whitmore brushed off controversy about her Strictly stint on Wednesday night as she headed for a fun night out in central London

Laura, 31, wrapped up warm against the dreary London weather in her statement furry coat in a bubblegum pink shade.

Hot pink stars adorned the arms, while the fashion fan kept the rest of her ensemble simple with a pair of black leggings and heeled ankle boots.

She finished off her look with a personalised pink shoulder bag emblazoned with her initials.

Time for some fun: The Irish beauty looked gorgeous in a cosy pink coat as she joined her pals at the launch of the Somerset House ice rink

Super chic: Laura, 31, wrapped up warm against the dreary London weather in her statement furry coat in a bubblegum pink shade

Laura looked in good spirits as she joined a celeb crowd at the event, including fellow Strictly 2016 star Daisy Lowe.

Her night out comes on the same day rumours emerged of her frosty relationship with her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice, 26.

A source has come forward to tell MailOnline that Giovanni found television presenter Laura 'a piece of work' and a 'cold fish' behind the scenes.

In an explosive insight into their working relationship, the insider went on to accuse Laura of sending abusive text messages to the dancer, undermining his skills.

Drama: Laura's night out comes on the same day rumours about her frosty relationship with professional dance partner Giovanni emerged

A source close to Giovanni said: ‘Laura was a piece of work, she really was. She made Giovanni’s life hard.

'She was a difficult, cold fish – she was a bully to Giovanni and he behaved like a total gent.

‘Laura sent him loads of texts basically saying he was no good and was not doing anything for her and abusing him.

Bullying behaviour? Laura (pictured out on Wednesday morning) has been accused of bullying her dance partner, and sending him abusive text messages

Show stoppers: They illuminated the ballroom floor for seven weeks prior to their shock elimination from the current series of the hit BBC show

Sending a message? Laura posted a pic on her Instagram page on Tuesday amid the rumours about her feud with Giovanni

‘The producers knew how difficult Laura was. Giovanni is just relieved it’s all over. There is no love lost between them!’

Laura and Giovanni left in Week 7 of the competition after a bottom two dance-off against Ore Oduba, who is due to compete in the Blackpool stage of the ballroom show next week.

‘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.'

A spokesperson for Laura Whitmore told MailOnline: 'Laura did not send abusive texts and is very hurt by these accusations.'

Meanwhile, a second source disagreed about the fall-out, telling MailOnline: ‘Gio was quite mean to her backstage and it tainted the whole experience for her.

Welling up: Laura broke down being eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing

'She's been a Strictly fan for so long. She isn't a submissive person and they had a few professional disagreements.’

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Laura Whitmore and a spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing for comment.

Their professional relationship was understood to be on rocky ground from day one due to Laura's friendship with actress Georgia May Foote, who dated Giovanni after her own Strictly Come Dancing appearance in 2015.

Separate sources also claim the Italian dancer 'got frustrated' with her reluctance to film the short pre-recorded videos that feature between every performance.

Causing tension: It's thought that Laura's friendship with actress Georgia May Foote, who dated Giovanni after her own Strictly Come Dancing appearance in 2015, could have driven a wedge between them

A source told The Sun: ‘They clashed during rehearsals as Laura got increasingly agitated with Gio’s tone and general rudeness.

‘They pulled it together for the live shows but behind the scenes it was a different story.

‘There’s certainly no love lost between them and it’s doubtful they’ll remain in contact when the series is wrapped up later this month.’

A bad dancer? Laura (here with fellow competitor) Ed Balls has been called hard to work with in the studio

Matters reportedly worsened after Giovanni opted to defy convention by conducting a solo dance move during the couple's final dance, a move which didn't go unnoticed by the show's judges.

Laura fought back tears after stumbling through her dance-off samba routine, resulting in the judges' unanimous vote to send her home.

After learning of her fate she told co-host Tess Daly of her time on the show: 'I don’t think anyone realises how much goes on here, the make-up, the costume, everything and just to be part of that for a little while is amazing.'

Giovanni added: 'I would like to say again thank you for being such a great partner, an amazing person to work with, you teach me a lot and I will never ever forget this journey.'

Bouncing back: Laura was disappointed by her elimination, but returned straight to TV work, the next day

Plump for a purple party dress like Laura wearing Raisa Vanessa

Raisa Vanessa Autumn/Winter '16

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She may have just been voted off Strictly Come Dancing but Laura Whitmore was winning in style style stakes at the MTV Europe Music Awards in this Raisa Vanessa frock!

From the frills, to the sheer panels and sparkling embellishment, it's got party time written all over it and was perfect for bringing a bit of glitz and glamour to the red-carpet as Laura went about her presenting duties.

With party season literally just round the corner (how is it here already?!) it's worth stepping up your efforts towards finding the perfect dance-floor worthy dress for all those fabulous festive events you've been invited to.

Thanks to Laura in this show-stopping number, that's your inspiration sorted! Thankfully, we've found some pretty great doppelgänger styles that are ideal for channelling her look. Check out our top picks below from True Decadence, Diane Von Furstenberg, Gina Bacconi and Dolce and Gabbana.

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