Zara McDermott deleted a post praising her Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima's 'work ethic' amid allegations he 'punched and kicked her' during rehearsals. Since the allegations, their humorous 'bickering' videos have been viewed differently.
Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected]. READ MORE:A clip of Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis comparing her dance partner Giovanni Pernice to a 'lizard' has been unearthed, following the shock scandals surrounding him and fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima .
And despite the close bond the two appeared to have shared before winning the Glitterball Trophy, Rose hints that Giovanni can have a temper in rehearsals. The clip from one of the live shows sees host Claudia Winkleman chatting to the pair backstage and asking Rose: 'You have a new name for Gio?'She explains: 'A lizard because I do dancing and I get my steps wrong, the lizard comes out, crrrkk! Then if I get the steps right, he calms down'
On Tuesday, they explained that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.' Kate Phillips, BBC's director of unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.
The announcement came just hours after former Love Island star Zara broke her silence on the scandal. '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,' Zara wrote on Instagram. It came following MailOnline's exclusive reports that the BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Graziano is taking legal action against the broadcaster.
Zara, who now presents documentaries for the BBC, is said to have been 'too frightened' to put a complaint in at the time, but is co-operating with investigators at present It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara – nine months after their initial complaint – that he was fired.
The Mail revealed he has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible In a resurfaced video posted on the professional dancer's Instagram Story, Zara can be seen napping on the floor of the dance studio as she attempted to get some rest after an exhausting training session.
Sharing a selfie of herself heading to rehearsals that she captioned: '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.
Since allegations emerged that Graziano 'kicked and hit' Zara during rehearsals, these videos have been viewed in a different light. The following month, Zara joked that the pair had been rowing about food as she shared a clip of herself hiding from Graziano behind a curtain alongside audio footage As Graziano responded: 'who has been correcting you?' Zara hit back with 'who's been doing the work?' but conceded when Graziano added: 'who's making you perfect?'
Graziano later shared a gushing post about his relationship with Zara and she in turn posted about their 'unbreakable bond' in a post that she has since deleted 'You have such a good soul. You are so humble and I say thank you that I found a friend like you. I have learnt so much from you. And your hard work within six weeks.He later took to Instagram to share a snap of their Halloween Charleston, penning: 'THIS PICTURE SAYS IT ALL!! You are what Strictly is all about, with humbleness, zero ego, rehearsing 12 hours per day.
Fellow Italian Giada, who also danced as a professional on Strictly, has yet to speak out about her husband's untimely departure In the caption, she shared: 'From the day I met you Graz, you told me every day that I am strong, beautiful and confident. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know that we were meant to be friends for life.
According to The Sun, BBC bosses were presented with video of Graziano's actions on Thursday, before speaking to Zara ahead of the weekend and finally sacking the Italian on Monday. However, Catherine - who was partnered with Johannes Radebe in the show in 2019 - has now removed one of her more supportive comments
While a BBC insider insisted: 'There was no procrastinating. The video evidence was completely and utterly undeniable. Amanda, left the competition mid-way through the series, citing personal reasons after weeks of rumours about a feud with Giovanni But now the second gushing comment has been deleted, with only the first remaining on Graziano's post.
Meanwhile, both Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson have since unfollowed Graziano, but she still follows his wife, Giada Lini. He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-final with actor Kym Marsh.
Tvshowbiz New York Times Giovanni Pernice Graziano Di Prima Strictly Come Dancing BBC Amanda Abbington Zara Mcdermott
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