Axed Strictly star Graziano Di Prima returns to £6 an hour job amid allegations he 'hit and kicked' dance partner Zara McDermott

18 July 2024, 12:48 | Updated: 18 July 2024, 12:55

Di Prima has been axed from Strictly Come Dancing amid the allegations against him.
Di Prima has been axed from Strictly Come Dancing amid the allegations against him. Picture: Alamy

By Henry Moore

Axed Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima has returned to his £6-an-hour job in Italy after being sacked from the hit show, reports claim.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Di Prima was axed by the BBC after reports emerged he “hit and kicked” dance partner Zara McDermott, 27, while they trained together.

Now, the MailOnline claims he has returned to the £6-an-hour job he held at a Sicilian vineyard before rising to fame.

A friend told the publication Di Prima is “totally alone…digging ditches and clearing wood” after returning to Italy with his wife, Giada.

“Graziano has gone back to basics working on the land,” the source said.

“He's totally alone in the field digging ditches and clearing wood, a standard practice to prevent fires, working for a minimal sum but it's not about the money.

“Manual labour is what he grew up doing, since he was eight-years old.

“It's about keeping his mind active and a distraction technique from the toxic fallout of his departure from Strictly.”

Those close to the Strictly star have told him to focus on the present and move on from his career in the UK.

“He's been told to concentrate on his mental health, as he is in a bad place,” the friend added.

“'There's a real push for him to eat healthily and sleep well, he really needs to knuckle down and think of himself right now

Read more: Giovanni Pernice is not returning to Strictly Come Dancing amid Amanda Abbington complaint row

“Who knows what the future will hold, hopefully, it can still be in dance as that's why his body is built for - it's all he knows.

“But for now Strictly is firmly at the back of his mind. He accepts that he will never grace the Strictly dance floor again. He has lost everything.”

Graziano Di Prima arrives at the Pride Of Britain Awards 2023
Graziano Di Prima arrives at the Pride Of Britain Awards 2023. Picture: Getty

In the wake of the allegations against Di Prima, former Love Island star Zara McDermott took to Instagram to open up about the “very distressing” treatment she underwent while on Strictly.

Sharing a statement on Instagram, McDermott said: "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 work with.

Read more: Ex-Strictly star Giovanni Pernice faces new allegations as dancer accuses him of ‘doing horrendous things’ to her

Read more: TV bosses break silence on Strictly's investigation into former dancing star Giovanni Pernice

"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.

"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.

Zara McDermott attends the "Emilia Perez" Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival
Zara McDermott attends the "Emilia Perez" Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival. Picture: Getty

"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."

Zara continued: "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. Love, always. Zara."

Di Prima previously said he "deeply regrets" the events leading up to his departure and acknowledged that his "intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime".

It came amid an ongoing probe into another former pro on the show, Giovanni Pernice, who was accused of bullying his partner Amanda Abbington during training.

Pernice has been accused of adopting "militant" training methods for his celebrity partners.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Breaking
Breaking News

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

Elon Musk pledges to fire civil servants who work from home

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog after leaning on animal while crawling, inquest hears

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog sustained 'catastrophic' injuries after leaning on pet, inquest hears

Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Starmer backs International Criminal Court after it issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries following dawn raids

Rhiannon Skye Whyte was stabbed to death in Walsall

South Sudanese teen accused of murdering asylum seeker hotel worker with screwdriver 'refuses to appear in court'

Will Guyatt questions who is responsible for the safety of children online

Are Zuckerberg and Musk responsible for looking after my kids online?

Simone White has died following a poisoning with alcoholic drinks at a bar in Loas

British lawyer, 28, dies following suspected mass methanol poisoning at bar in Laos

Russia has claimed that Britain is directly involved in the war in Ukraine

Britain now 'directly involved in war in Ukraine', Russian ambassador to UK says

Finlay MacDonald is accused of trying to murder his wife Rowena

Jealous husband 'murdered brother-in-law and tried to kill wife' after finding text saying she planned to leave him

Teenager jailed for least 22 years after fatally stabbing motorbike enthusiast who named attacker in dying breath

Teenager jailed for at least 22 years after fatally stabbing motorbike enthusiast who named attacker in dying breath

Pie fortune heir Dylan Thomas, 24, has been found guilty of murdering his best friend William Bush (R)

Heir to £230m pie fortune found guilty of murdering his best friend on Christmas Eve

Matt Hancock giving evidence at the Covid 19 inquiry

Matt Hancock says government 'got it wrong' with funeral restrictions and visiting dying relatives during pandemic

Body parts - inlcuding arms, legs and a head - belonging to 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew were found in Rowdown Fields in Croydon

Couple facing life in prison after admitting murdering woman and dumping dismembered body parts

'But where are the hams?': Police launch manhunt after thieves steal €200,000 of prized Christmas meat

Police hunt Spanish hamburglars after thieves steal €200,000 of prized Christmas meat

The new advert was published this week.

Rebranded Jaguar sparks further backlash after teasing new car model akin to ‘Tesla Cybertruck’