Last week, it was announced that Graziano Di Prima would not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing over his behaviour to celebrity partner, Zara McDermott.
A spokesperson for Graziano Di Prima has admitted that the professional dancer “kicked” his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Last week, it was announced that Graziano would not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking to the BBC, Mark Borkowski said: “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.”
The Italian professional dancer was let go by the BBC and is the second professional to exit the show after criticism about the “tough” methods used for training celebrities.
Referring to the media reports, Mark added: “But he 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 continued: “He [Graziano] has literally cut himself off from civilisation. I think that’s a wise thing to do, supported by his wife. He’s coming to terms with his mental health issues.”
Mr Borkowski also added that Di Prima “does remember that he was pushing [Zara] quite hard” during the training day in question.
Graziano issued a statement on his shock departure, saying he “deeply regrets the events that led” to his exit. He claimed his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime”.
Giovanni Pernice left the dance competition in June amidst allegations allegedly made by Amanda Abbington and two other celebrities. He denies all the allegations of “threatening or abusive behaviour”.
Recently, Zara, 27, released a statement in regards to Graziano’s sacking over claims of “physical and verbal incidents”.
The documentary maker said she feared the public’s response when talking about her time on the show, saying she “wrestled with the fear of opening up”.
She penned on Instagram: “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.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Strictly Come Dancing bosses are introducing “duty of care packages” to celebrity partners in the upcoming series.
According to The Sun, safeguards are being introduced for dancers and celebrity contestants on the show, including counsellors and the offer of post-show therapy.
They also reported that psychological testing will also be implemented to ensure that the contestants are “robust” enough to handle with the constant media.
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Source: USA Today
