In a shocking turn of events, while the BBC was enquiring about Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour towards Amanda Abbington, they found out about Graziano Di Prima’s abusive behaviour. Reportedly, claims were made about his behaviour to BBC which included him allegedly hitting, kicking, and spitting at Zara during rehearsals. According to The Sun, after shocking videos of incidents were shown to the BBC bosses, Di Prima was sacked for gross misconduct.
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BBC issued a statement confirming that the 30-year-old Italian will not appear in the next series after announcing him as one of the pros in the line-up of the upcoming series. After Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, BBC is understood to have widened their investigation to look into the treatment of other dancers as well.
BBC Strictly bosses axe Graziano Di Prima for his abusive behaviour towards Zara McDermott
Reportedly, the video viewed by the BBC investigation team led the broadcasting giant to fire Di Prima in less than 24 hours. A source revealed that the Di Prima incident has become an ‘unmitigated, utterly unprecedented disaster’ for BBC and added:
The footage has reduced those who have seen it to tears. Graziano has been accused of multiple physical and verbal incidents. The BBC had no choice but to sack him.
Another source told The Sun that Di Prima has ‘held up his hands and admits his behaviour was extreme and unacceptable.’ They added:
He knows there is no return and quite rightly. Yet why was no action taken sooner to nip this situation in the bud?
Di Prima allegedly wants to sue the BBC
In light of new information, Di Prima's friend alleged that he’s looking to sue the BBC for their lack of action. This comes as Di Prima believes that he should have been ‘supported and helped’ with his behaviour after BBC bosses were warned ‘twice’ about his behaviour. A source said:
Graziano feels if he had received proper support and some sort of anger management training, an escalation could have been prevented.
A friend of the professional dancer told MailOnline:
There are questions over the BBC’s procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes. He believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.
This comes after Di Prima also vowed to tell ‘my story’ when the time is right in his recent Instagram post.
Zara McDermott breaks silence on the Graziano Di Prima allegations
After several reports of Di Prima’s misconduct, former Love Island star Zara McDermott has now come forward to talk about what happened. In an Instagram post made today, McDermott shared she ‘wrestled with the fear of opening up’ because she feared she would receive ‘public backlash’ and ‘victim shaming.’
Talking about the incident on her Instagram story, McDermott wrote:
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.
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.
Since the story first broke out, every move of both Zara McDermott and Di Prima is being watched. In the latest update, Mail Online revealed that Di Prima has in fact left the UK and returned to Italy, his home country, with wife Giada. However, what he is doing in the country has surprised many.
Di Prima's alleged new life in Italy
According to the tabloid, the ex-Strictly dancer is living a very low-key life and working in a remote vineyard in Sicily. A friend claims that he has taken 'a job on a farm, ploughing fields, living with cows and picking grapes'.
Mail Online also claims that the dancer is making £6 an hour.
The friend went on to add that Di Prima has removed himself from social media, and has been trying to distance himself from the scandal that is currently unfolding in the UK. They said:
Manual labour is what he grew up doing, since he was eight-years old.
It's about keeping his mind active and a distraction technique from the toxic fallout of his departure from Strictly.
Moreover, they emphasized that the professional is well-aware that he will 'never grace the Strictly dance floor again.'
He has lost everything.
As of now, this friend's identity remains undisclosed.
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Sources Used
The Sun: Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima sacked after bosses shown shock footage of him clashing with dance partner Zara McDermott
The Sun: Strictly bosses were warned TWICE about Graziano Di Prima ‘abuse’ before dancer was sacked for ‘kicking’ Zara McDermott
Daily Mail: Sacked Strictly dancer Graziano Di Prima to SUE the BBC: Star says broadcaster failed to 'support and help' him
Instagram - Graziano Di Prima’s post
The Standard: Zara McDermott breaks her silence after Graziano Di Prima Strictly sacking
Mail Online: EXCLUSIVE Strictly's Graziano Di Prima goes back to £6 an hour job in Sicily after 'losing everything' following allegations he 'hit and kicked' former dance partner Zara McDermott
