ZARA McDermott has spoken out with an emotional statement after her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Graziano Di Prima was axed from the show.
Earlier this week it was revealed Graziano, 30, will not be returning for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing following claims he hit, spat at and kicked Zara, 27, during rehearsals last year.
Now former Love Island star Zara has spoken out and revealed why she was “scared” to address the situation before now.
Posting on social media, she 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.
“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.”
Zara insisted that the Strictly production team and everyone behind the scenes were “amazing to work with”.
However she added that her “experience inside the training room was very different” and said: “There were witnesses to some events as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.”
Zara signed off: “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.”
The allegations against Graziano came to light during the inquiry into claims that Strictly pro-Giovanni Pernice, 33, bullied his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington, 50, on the last series – which he has strenuously denied.
Graziano, who joined the show in 2018 and attended the same “brutal” dance school as Giovanni in Italy, had his BBC contract terminated when spoken to on Monday.
He broke his silence moments after his exit was announced and spoke of his “deep regret” over claims he had kicked, hit and spat at Zara, and he accepted the decision to part ways with the show.
Following the news that Graziano Di Prima had been axed from Strictly, Zara McDermott took to social media to release this statement
“I felt it was right to 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. 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. I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift actions and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me – it truly means a lot. Love, always, Zara.
