Strictly Come Dancing's Graziano Di Prima admits to kicking Zara McDermott

18 July 2024, 17:59

A spokesperson for axed Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima has admitted the dancer kicked Zara McDermott during rehearsals for the show.

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

"There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right," Mark Borkowski told the BBC.

"And he knows that.

"He knows he's made a mistake. He apologised at the time."

Mr Borkowski claims Di Prima “does remember that he was pushing (McDermott) quite hard” but “doesn't recognise some of the issues surrounding it."

"The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned," he added.

He branded claims Di Prima was aggressive on more than one occasion “absolute rubbish.”

There is also "lots of evidence" Di Prima and McDermott "has a huge amount of fun together through this process", Borkowski continued.

Last week, Di Prima said he "deeply regrets" the actions that led to his sacking.

He admitted that his "intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime."

In the wake of the allegations against Di Prima, former Love Island star Zara McDermott opened up about the “extremely distressing” incidents that occurred at Strictly rehearsals.

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

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.

"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.

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

"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."

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."

This week, the MailOnline claimed Di Prima had 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.

“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.”