Graziano Di Prima and Zara McDermott’s Strictly training footage ‘brought people to tears’

Footage allegedly showing Graziano Di Prima “abusing” Zara McDermott has moved people to tears.

The dancer, who announced on Saturday that he had been axed from Strictly Come Dancing, is said to have “repeatedly kicked and punched” Zara in the training room. Graziano was partnered by Love Island star Zara in 2023 and the pair seemed to have the perfect friendship.

But this weekend, reports emerged that Graziano was thrown into the boss’s office over his treatment of Zara. It has since been claimed that Zara was not the person who filed the complaints against Graziano, but a member of the production team.

Now new reports claim the footage of the alleged incidents was so emotional it left people in tears. A source told The Sun: “The footage has moved those who saw it to tears.” They added: “As part of a wider BBC investigation, reports about Graziano’s behaviour came from multiple external sources — with multiple reports of physical and verbal abuse.”

Although Zara, 27, did not initially file a complaint, she is believed to be cooperating with an investigation and has appointed lawyers to act on her behalf. Since the news broke, the reality star turned presenter has unfollowed Graziano on Instagram but still follows his wife on the photo-sharing platform.

Graziano confirmed his departure on social media and addressed the allegations made against him. He told his 247,000 followers on Instagram: “I deeply regret the events that have led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime. While I respect the BBC HR process, I recognise that it is only right for the good of the show that I step back. I regret that I was not able to provide a quote for the online news stories and I take into account the sensitivity of the situation.”

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He added: “There is more to this story which I cannot discuss at this time, but I am determined to be strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.” The BBC said in a statement: “We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima will no longer be part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we will never comment on individual cases, the BBC is aware that robust duty of care procedures have been put in place and when issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”

The Mirror has contacted the spokespersons for both Zara and Graziano.

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