GRAZIANO Di Prima claims his life has been ruined by “vile, false allegations” which got him axed from Strictly Come Dancing.
The professional dancer’s family won’t let him out of their sight as he struggles to process Zara McDermott‘s abuse allegations.
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“I thought we were friends. We were friends,” Graziano told the Daily Mail.
“I’m not a monster. I’m not an abusive man. I will not let these lies define me. They are not who I am.”
Graziano was axed from the hit BBC show last month amid claims he hit, kicked and spat at Zara.
There were also anonymous complaints from “third parties” – but Graziano says he has been left in the dark by the BBC.
He says channel bosses have refused to give any further details due to the “confidential nature of the circumstances”.
The 30-year-old added: “These vile, false allegations ruined my life in a matter of minutes – professionally, financially, psychologically and reputationally.
“I can be strict, I can be passionate. I want my partner to go as far as they can. Zara wanted that, too.”
Zara broke a leg bone in tough training for the last series but the 27-year-old was unaware and danced on in pain until she and Graziano were eliminated.
Show bosses learned the full extent of the injury only two weeks ago when Zara spoke to private investigators amid the inquiry into dancers’ behaviour.
“Her knee injury was not my fault,” Graziano claims.
“That’s why I’m telling you they put me under the bus.”
Instead, Graziano insists he has been wracking his brain over what Zara found “incredibly distressing” to see in the footage.
“The only thing I can think of is the time I kicked the floor in frustration,” he says.
“We’d practised hour after hour to perfect a routine with lifts. It wasn’t easy but that’s the pressure of the show.
“I wasn’t meaning to kick her. I’d never, never do that. My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor. Afterwards I hugged her and said I was sorry. There was no problem. We carried on.
“Her statement was so, so shocking to me because she never once said she was uncomfortable or unhappy.”
Graziano has been supported by his wife Giada – admitting he doesn’t know what would have happened if he’d been alone.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be talking to you now,” he says.
“I didn’t stop shaking for a month. In those first days I had ugly thoughts [about suicide].”
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Graziano added: “Right now, my reputation is zero and it will take a superhuman effort for me to get up from this hole.
“But I do believe the truth always wins in the end. I am determined not to let my and my family’s lives be destroyed.”
Last night it was revealed Strictly professionals will be forced to have anti-bullying training after the show was plunged into chaos.
Graziano’s former co-star Giovanni Pernice is also being investigated over bullying complaints from his partner Amanda Abbington.
Now BBC insiders have revealed that dancers’ contracts have been amended to enforce mandatory training.
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Strictly’s full scandal so far
Strictly Come Dancing’s scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what’s happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
August 10: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.