'I'm not a monster': Ex-Strictly star Graziano di Prima breaks his silence after 'abuse' claims
10 August 2024, 17:14 | Updated: 10 August 2024, 17:21
Former Strictly star Graziano di Prima has broken his silence regarding claims that he "kicked" his dance partner Zara McDermott.
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The allegations led to him swiftly being sacked from the primetime dancing programme.
Speaking with the MailOnline, the Italian dancer revealed how he has struggled in his personal life since the emergence of the allegations.
The star also denied claims that he kicked his dance partner, or forced her to dance in the finale of the show against medical advice.
Graziano was at home in Sicily, where he is a native, when he found out he was fired from Strictly.
He revealed he was relieved to be around his family at the time because of the "ugly thoughts" which had occupied his mind when the allegations came to light.
"When I had the meeting with the BBC, I didn't know what to say.
"For me, this has come out of nowhere. I literally couldn't find any words. I was broken.
"Luckily we were with my mum because I don't know what would have happened if I'd been alone - maybe I wouldn't be talking to you now.
He added: "I didn't stop shaking for a month. In those first days I had ugly thoughts [around suicide].
"Graziano's sacking was announced last month and a spokesperson for the dancer later confirmed that the Italian dancer had "kicked" Zara during rehearsals."
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Graziano has denied that he kicked Zara, adding: "The only thing I can think of is the time I kicked the floor in frustration.
"We'd practised hour after hour to perfect a routine with lifts.
"It wasn't easy but that's the pressure of the show."
He added: "I wasn't meaning to kick her. I'd never, never do that.
"My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor.
"Afterwards I hugged her and said I was sorry. There was no problem.
"We carried on. I'm not sure if this is it or if it's from when we, as professional dancers, move our partner's leg with our foot.
"That is what is so difficult for me - not knowing.
The star talked about being "strict and passionate" in his teachings, explaining that it's because he wants his partners to get as far as possible in the show.
The allegations caught him off guard, and the dancer thought he was still friends with the former Love Island personality after the show.
He said he and his wife Giada Lini spoke often with Zara, who they said was helping them to locate a flat in London.
Allegedly, he spoke with Zara on 9 July before being fired, and the pair laughed about the weather.
After the story broke, Zara stopped messaging Graziano, and she unfollowed him on social media, deleting a post where she praised the Italian star for her experience on the show.
In a statement released by the dancer when his sacking was confirmed, Graziano supposedly apologised to Zara, but he said this was viewed as an admission of guilt, instead of an apology for being too "strict".
"I didn't deliberately hurt anyone. I am not a monster. I am not an abusive man."
However, since the story broke, reports have emerged that Graziano put pressure on Zara to dance in the final celebrity group performance, even thought she was nursing an injury.
He told the publication that Zara had insisted she wanted to dance on that occasion.
Despite fears of a "public backlash" and "victim shaming" Zara previously took to Instagram, and wrote:"So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamed 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."
Graziano has said that his reputation is now "zero" but he is determined to return to the dance floor.
He said: "Right now, my reputation is zero and it will take a superhuman effort for me to get up from this hole.
"But I do believe the truth always wins in the end. I am determined not to let my and my family's lives be destroyed.
"I will dance again. I will bring joy to people again with my dancing because this is who I am: an international professional dancer, a man of integrity, a loving husband and son who has never forgotten where he's come from.
"I will not let these lies define me. They are not who I am."
On July 16 the BBC announced that they would introduce new welfare measures such as the inclusion of chaperone who will be present "at all times" in rehearsals.
There have been additional allegations about the teaching methods of professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, which he strongly denies.
The results of an investigation, launched by the BBC following the allegations, have not yet been published by the corporation.
