Graziano Di Prima and Zara McDermott during Strictly training
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Graziano Di Prima admits to ‘kicking’ Zara McDermott on Strictly as rep makes statement: ‘He knows he’s made a mistake’

It's apparently a job he did growing up

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A rep for former Strictly pro dancer Graziano Di Prima has said he did ‘kick’ 2023 celeb partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer’s spokesman Mark Borkowski has told BBC News: “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.”

Graziano Di Prima axed from Strictly

It comes hours after reports claimed that the Italian dancer reportedly has a new job in his homeland.

Last week, it was announced that Graziano had been axed from Strictly following misconduct allegations.

The Italian dancer, 30, has been accused of kicking, hitting, and spitting at his celeb partner, Zara McDermott, during last year’s series.

Graziano and Zara danced together last year. They were the fifth couple to be eliminated from the competition.

In a statement, Graziano said that he “deeply regretted his actions that led to his departure”.

Zara has since said she has “wrestled with the fear of opening up” about the allegations.

The allegations have led to some fans calling for the show to be cancelled.

“Strictly Come Dancing needs to be cancelled for this year,” one fan tweeted.

“What an absolute disgrace, Strictly should be cancelled and all associated with it sacked,” another fumed.

Graziano Di Prima during a podcast
Graziano has fled the UK (Credit: YouTube)

Graziano Di Prima ‘back in Italy’ following Strictly axing

Now, it has been reported that following his axing, Graziano has reportedly found a new job in Italy.

However, the new reported job isn’t as high paying as Strictly. The disgraced dancer is believed to be earning just £6 per hour there.

The dancer is reportedly working on a farm at the moment in a bid to ignore the noise being made surrounding his departure from the show.

“Graziano has gone back to basics working on the land. 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,” a pal told the MailOnline.

“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,” they then continued.

The friend then went on to claim that Graziano has been told to focus on his mental health. He also reportedly knows his career in the UK is over.

ED! has contacted Graziano’s reps for comment.

‘Worry behind the scenes’

Following Graziano’s ex, it has been claimed by a PR expert that there will be ‘worry’ behind the scenes of Strictly now.

“I think there must be a lot of worry behind the scenes among the pro dancers,” Nick Ede, brand and culture expert, exclusively told ED!.

“This could tarnish their reputations and their earning capacity too,” he added.

Read more: Strictly fans’ predictions for 2024 line-up – from Barney Walsh and This Morning’s Craig Doyle to Shane Lynch

Zara McDermott Speaks Out On Graziano Strictly Scandal | This Morning

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Robert Emlyn Slater
Senior Writer