Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima has been dropped from the show after kicking his partner Zara McDermott – and a spokesman for the dancer has confirmed the incident

Graziano Di Prima has admitted he kicked Zara McDermott during their time on Strictly Come Dancing last year.

The dancer’s representative has confirmed that Di Prima did kick the former Love Island star during a rehearsal last year, leading to his exit from the show and the BBC dropping him from the 2024 roster of professionals.

Di Prima confirmed he had left the Strictly family via a social media statement shared on Saturday. It was later reported that the dancer had been accused of inappropriate behaviour in the training room with McDermott – including a claim he kicked the reality TV at one point.

McDermott broke her silence on the scandal on Tuesday, telling her fans in a lengthy statement she didn’t speak out sooner due to a fear of being victim-shamed. This evening, it was confirmed that Di Prima did kick McDermott during a training session.

His spokesperson Mark Borkowski told BBC New “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.” Di Prima believed the issue had been settled, but footage of the incident was reportedly brought to the BBC’s attention last week, resulting in the dancer being dropped from this year’s line-up.

Di Prima “does remember that he was pushing [McDermott] quite hard” during the training session on the day in question, Mr Borkowski said. “But he doesn’t recognise some of the issues surrounding it,” he added, referring to recent reports. “The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned,” he said.

He also dismissed as “absolute rubbish” the suggestion that this single incident was representative of what happened during “weeks and weeks of training”. There is also “lots of evidence” of Di Prima and McDermott “having a huge amount of fun together through this process”, the dancer’s spokesperson added.

The former Strictly Come Dancing professional admits he pushed Zara McDermott hard during training ( 
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Instagram)
McDermott said on Tuesday she “wrestled with the fear of opening up” about her time on Strictly Come Dancing because she feared “public backlash” and “victim shaming”, following Di Prima’s exit from the show. She wrote on Instagram: “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.

Zara continued: “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.” McDermott also thanked the BBC and BBC Studios, which makes Strictly, for their “swift action and incredibly high level of support”.

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Image:
ITV)
The BBC has said if issues are raised with it, it will “always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate”. A statement from Di Prima on Saturday said: “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. 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. 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.”

It comes after it was confirmed Giovanni Pernice will not be part of the 2024 line-up of professionals amid allegations about his teaching methods, which he rejects. Pernice previously said in a statement he is co-operating fully with an ongoing BBC investigation and that he looks “forward to clearing my name”.