ZARA McDermott has broken her silence on Graziano Di Prima’s Strictly axing and revealed why she didn’t speak up before now.
The ex-Love Island star took to Instagram today after the axed pro, 30, was fired by the BBC following claims he hit, spat and kicked her during rehearsals.
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It comes as the Italian dancer fled the UK amid more claims that Zara “passed out” during rehearsals.
Zara, 27, has now responded in a lengthy statement and said she was “scared to speak up”.
She said: “I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports.
“Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.
“When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true.
“I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.
“I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.
“And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of.
“The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with.
“However, my experience inside the training room was very different.
“Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.
“I have wrestled with the fear of opening up- I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming.
“But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.
“The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud.
“This is something I’ve seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.”
Graziano Di Prima – Strictly statement in FULL
GRAZIANO Di Prima has addressed his Strictly Come Dancing sacking with a statement on social media – see the details below.
In a statement shared to his Instagram page Graziano wrote: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
“Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.”
He continued: “While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.
“I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.”
He concluded the post: “I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.”
Zara continued: “I would like to thank the BBC & BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me – it really truly means a lot. Love, always.
Zara.”
The allegations came to light during the inquiry into claims pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, 33, bullied his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington, 50, on the last series, which he has strenuously denied.
Bosses contacted ex-Love Island star and documentary maker Zara after other contestants and production staff made allegations against Graziano.
Graziano, who joined the show in 2018 and attended the same “brutal” dance school as Giovanni in Italy, had his BBC contract terminated when spoken to on Monday.
He broke his silence moments after his exit was announced and spoke of his “deep regret” over claims he had kicked, hit and spat at Zara, and he accepted the decision to step away from the show.
The star, who is married to felllow dancer Giada Lini, insisted there was more to the story than meets the eye and said he will speak out “when the time is right”.
The Sun also revealed how the BBC had been warned twice about Graziano’s conduct towards Love Island star Zara during their training sessions last year.
A source said: “The footage has reduced those who have seen it to tears.”
The BBC insisted it acted swiftly after seeing video footage of the abuse.
Meanwhile other resurfaced footage from last year’s series shows an exhausted Zara curled up on the training room floor ahead of Halloween week.
Zara shared the footage on social media at the time and told followers: “I think I’ve clocked around 50K steps already today with this routine.”
She then begged professional partner Graziano: “Give me a break please.”
BRUTAL DANCE SCHOOL
Pro Giovanni Pernice’s departure from Strictly came in the wake of stories suggesting he had pushed some stars he was paired with.
Viewers are now wondering how the beloved primetime show has turned toxic.
In a remarkable twist both Graziano and Giovanni hail from Sicily in Italy and attended Europe’s biggest dance school, Team Diablo near Bologna.
Students at Team Diablo are drilled to perfect routines and have been said to lose dangerous amounts of weight while training for up to 12 hours a day.
Former Strictly professional Joanne Clifton, who lifted the Glitterball trophy after being paired with broadcaster Ore Oduba in the 2016 series, told how she was hospitalised after being part of the academy.
She said: “The problem was there were too many dancers — including me — who thought being skinny was good.
“As well as doing my best to limit my intake of pizza and pasta, and drinking up to ten espressos a day, I cut out meat, which led to me being hospitalised with anaemia.
“That feeling of low energy was horrendous and impacted on my training. For a period of four months, I remember collapsing unexplainably — my body was telling me to change something.”
FRESH START ABROAD
Insiders told The Sun Graziano – who joined the BBC show in 2018 – is now packing his bags for a fresh start abroad with wife Giada.
A source said: “Graziano is petrified and in a bad place.
“He is being supported by his wife Giada and they are planning to pack up and move back to Italy. This has killed his career dead and he knows it.
“Going back to Italy for a new beginning is what is best for him and Giada.”
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