Strictly’s Zara McDermott breaks silence on Graziano Di Prima inquiry
Zara McDermott has broken her silence on recent accusations against professional dancer Graziano Di Prima.
Former Love Island bombshell Zara took part in last year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with Graziano.
Despite the pair seemingly forming a firm friendship on and off the show, it emerged on Saturday that Graziano has now been let go from Strictly, amid an investigation into allegations of his behaviour in the training room with Zara.
Graziano promptly took to Instagram to confirm the news of his departure, with the 30-year-old writing that he “deeply regrets the events” and that his “intense passion and determination might have affected [his] training regime.”
Now, a few days on from the allegations, Zara has spoken out for the first time about the matter.
In a statement on her Instagram stories, the 27-year-old described Strictly as being “one of the most magical shows on TV” and that it 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,” she continued, adding: “And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of.”
“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 penned.
“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,” she confirmed.
“I would like to thank the BBC & 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,” she concluded.
Strictly is due to return this September for its 20th anniversary. A replacement for Graziano in the professional dancers lineup has yet to be announced.
