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Privacy NoticeZara McDermott was seen ‘sleeping’ on the floor during Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals in a resurfaced video from Graziano Di Prima’s Instagram, as she caught a quick nap in between rehearsals. The former Love Island star needed some rest after long training schedules on the show last year, as the professional dancer jokingly captioned his video: “She asked me 5 minutes break.” “I think I’ve clocked about 50k steps already today with this routine. Give me a break pls,” Zara jokingly responded to the clip, which she reposted at the time with a laughing emoji. Sign up to the OK! newsletter to get updates sent to your mailbox for free
Graziano has been ‘axed’ from Strictly
(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
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Get Zara McDermott’s summer holiday look with her linen floral midi dress from Nobody’s Child
The video was filmed just days before the pair’s exit in week six, as Zara explained on the BBC spin off show at the time that she had “spent seven weeks 12 hours a day with this man,” during her time on the show. The resurfaced videos come after it was announced that Graziano Di Prima had been axed from the BBC show over claims of ‘misconduct’ during practice sessions with Zara. It is said that backstage footage allegedly left production staff in tears, leading to Graziano’s termination just hours after BBC executives viewed the clips. It has since been claimed that Zara was not the one to make the allegations against Graziano.
Zara and Graziano spoke about their time on the show after their week 6 departure on It Takes Two
(Image: BBC)
The professional dancer has since released a statement on Instagram, apologising for his behaviour which read: “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 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. I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.” Concluding, Graziano said: “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.”
The pair would regularly post entertaining social media clips for fans
Zara released a statement via Instagram today, which read: “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 worth 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 incredible 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. I would like to thank the BBC and 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.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnLove IslandStrictly Come DancingSam ThompsonZara McdermottChelsea
