Vito Coppola backs Graziano with strongly worded statement (Image: BBC/Guy Levy)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeStrictly Come Dancing star Vito Coppola has backed his close pal Graziano Di Prima insisting “I will love him forever”. This year Strictly Come Dancing has been hit by scandal since Amanda Abbington accused Giovanni Pernice of “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean” behaviour, which he strongly denies. Meanwhile, Graziano Di Prima, was axed over accusations of “gross misconduct” following an incident with reality star Zara McDermott, who he danced with in the 2023 series.
Vito and Ellie took home the glitterball last series
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Graziano apologised but later stated, “I didn’t deliberately hurt anyone. I am not a monster. I am not an abusive man,” adding that his mental health had been affected and he’d been plagued by “ugly thoughts”. Vito, who grew up competing alongside Graziano in Italian dance competitions and became as close as brothers with him, found himself in a difficult position due to the scandal. However, he insists he won’t abandon his friend. “I love Graziano,” Vito expressed. “I’ve known him since years ago, when we were competing. I love him and I will love him forever.”
Graziano was axed from the show earlier this year
(Image: Zara McDermott/Instagram)
The scandal has made the past few months challenging for the show’s stars, but Vito is excited about participating in Strictly’s 20th anniversary series. Instead of focusing on Giovanni and Graziano’s exit, he’s overjoyed to be reunited with his friend Amy Dowden, who is returning after her fight with breast cancer, and to work alongside Aljaž Škorjanec, who is back after leaving in 2022. Despite the intense scrutiny the show has faced, Vito is optimistic that the new series featuring stars like Tasha Ghouri, Nick Knowles and Toyah Willcox will once again “bring sparkle into people’s houses”. “It’s like a family,” smiles Vito. “We always want to look at the positive, beautiful things. This year is Strictly’s 20th anniversary, and it’s going to be a special year. Amy is back, and will bring us so much joy, words cannot express. And then there’s Aljaz it’s a nice opportunity to get to work side by side. There is so much love, we are just enjoying every moment, every day of this rehearsal. This is just the beginning.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnStrictly Come DancingGraziano Di PrimaVito Coppola
