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Privacy NoticeStrictly Come Dancing’s professional dancer Graziano Di Prima had previously opened up about his physical and mental preparation for what was supposed to be his sixth season on the dance competition. Just a month ago, the 30 year old was announced as one of the professionals returning for this year’s special 20th anniversary show, alongside stars like Gorka Marquez, Katya Jones and Johannes Radebe. However, in a surprising turn of events last week, the BBC confirmed that he won’t be coming back due to allegations about his behaviour towards his 2023 celebrity partner Zara McDermott. The Italian dancer has since issued a statement expressing “deep regret” over the incidents that led to his exit, promising to speak more when the time is right. Months before he was due to hit the dance floor again, Graziano revealed how he gears up for the rigorous training that comes with the show. Speaking on the Pink Mondo podcast in January, he said: “I know I’ve got a massive job from now, jumping to other jobs until June. I have to force myself to stop and take a break because then the next season is coming back and I want to be in the best shape of form, physically and mentally. When it comes to relaxing, the dancer prefers doing “simple stuff” with family, such as visiting vineyards, back in Italy. At the time he recorded the podcast, the dancer was preparing for his Believe tour, which starred his wife Giada Lini, before joining his Strictly colleagues on The Professionals nationwide tour. After returning to Italy once the tour ended, he excitedly announced on June 10 that he was set to make a comeback to Strictly. In a statement, he expressed his happiness and gratitude for being back and couldn’t wait to share his journey with fans. However, just a month later, he has been accused of kicking and hitting Zara, an incident reportedly captured in distressing footage seen by BBC bosses.
Graziano Di Prima and Zara McDermott danced together in the 2023 series
(Image: (Image: GETTY))
The BBC subsequently confirmed: “We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate. According to The Sun, two complaints were lodged against Graziano from witnesses who allegedly saw his treatment towards Zara. Following these allegations, he released a statement on his Instagram page saying: “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”, reports the Express. “Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.” He went on to say: “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.” Zara has also since spoken out in a lengthy statement shared on her Instagram page. In her post, she revealed: “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.” Zara then admitted she was scared of opening up about the situation due to fearing public backlash, but that she has since “gained strength to face these fears”. She continued: “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 truly means a lot.”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnGorka MarquezKatya JonesZara McdermottStrictly Come DancingGraziano Di Prima
