Although Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima looked like they shared a close bond whilst starring on Strictly Come Dancing, news that Graziano has been axed from the BBC series due to alleged gross misconduct has many Strictly fans wondering what happened behind the scenes.
Graziano has been accused of kicking, hitting and spitting at Zara during rehearsals. In a statement last weekend, Graziano said: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly.”
For the past week, the pair’s supposed friendship has been put under a microscope. And a nickname Zara had for Graziano has come to light.
Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima on Strictly
Professional dancer Graziano and reality star Zara were coupled up on the 2023 series of the show, before they were eliminated from the series in week six.
Last weekend, news broke that Graziano had lost his job on Strictly. A BBC spokesperson said of Graziano’s sacking: “We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
“While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”
Graziano broke his silence on social media, saying: “When the time is right I will share my story.”
Zara later issued a statement, saying: “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.”
She added: “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.”
Graziano Di Prima allegations
Zara had previously referred to her and Graziano’s relationship as a unique “bond”, in a previous interview. She also gave him the nickname of “sweet and sour”.
In a previous interview for Grazia, Graziano and Zara discussed just how “passionate” the professional dancer could be during rehearsals.
Answering whether Graziano is “strict” in training, Zara told Grazia: “We call him sweet and sour. He is very very very sweet and then sometimes when he – to be fair on you – when you’ve told me something fifty-two thousand times and then I still get it wrong, you look at me like…” Zara then went on to pull an unimpressed expression.
Graziano then exclaimed: “I’m just passionate!”
Graziano later repeated the sentiment stating that is also the reason behind his competitive nature.
Elsewhere, a seemingly jokey moment between the pair may have hinted that the duo suffered turbulence behind the scenes.
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Zara and Graziano training for Strictly
A social media post from October 2023 has resurfaced by MailOnline, showing how Zara documented one of their rehearsal sessions.
Graziano shared a clip of Zara napping to social media at the time. He wrote: “She asked me [for] 5 minutes break.”
At the time, Zara replied on her Instagram Stories: “I think I’ve clocked about 50k steps already today with this routine. Give me a break pls.” [Sic]
In another post on Instagram, Zara told her followers: “Graz just had the audacity to call me and tell me his legs hurt after rehearsals yesterday. When he spent 50% of the day sitting down and analysing me doing the routine on my own.”
Zara then quipped: “HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL MATE?”
Read more: Three questions baffled Strictly fans demand answers to amid Graziano Di Prima allegations
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