Graziano Di Prima denies spitting on Zara McDermott (Image: GETTY)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 NoticeThe drama between Strictly Come Dancing’s Graziano Di Prima and Zara McDermott is far from over as the pair continue to share contrasting accounts of their training sessions. Graziano, 30, was axed from the beloved BBC show following allegations that he “kicked, hit and spat at” his celebrity partner during last year’s competition. While he concedes to kicking her once during rehearsals, he firmly denies any spitting incidents. In a statement, Graziano’s rep Mark Borkowski confirmed that the dancer acknowledges he “made a mistake,” but emphasised that he apologised at the time. Speaking to BBC News, Mr Borkowski stated: “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right. And he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.” Borkowski added that Graziano “does remember that he was pushing [McDermott] quite hard” in training on the day in question. However, he “doesn’t recognise some of the issues surrounding it,” reports the Mirror. Sign up to OK’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima denies spitting on Zara McDermott – but the dancer admits he did kick her
(Image: Instagram)
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He also dismissed the idea that this single incident was indicative of what transpired during “weeks and weeks of training” as “absolute rubbish”. There is also “lots of evidence” of Di Prima and McDermott “having a huge amount of fun together throughout this process,” added the dancer’s spokesperson. A spokesperson for Zara fiercely contested the comments, telling the BBC: “It’s a matter of public record that the BBC deemed the conduct to be so severe that they removed him from the show immediately. Zara has already confirmed in a statement released on her social media earlier this week that the reported conduct was not a singular incident.” Since the allegations came to light, Graziano has maintained a low profile and his publicist confirmed he has returned to Italy. He had previously stated: “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.”
Graziano and Zara dancing together on Strictly in 2023
(Image: PA)
He added: “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.” Zara, 27, stayed silent on the issue until recently when she released a statement saying she had been reluctant to come forward due to fears of “victim blaming”. She also said: “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.”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 DancingZara McdermottGraziano Di Prima
