Graziano Di Prima has faced allegations this week about his alleged misconduct on Strictly Come Dancing.
With two months to go until the BBC One dance contest is back on screens for 2024, Aljaz Skorjanec is back in among the troupe of pros, and Graziano Di Prima is out.
Graziano is facing allegations of gross misconduct. He’s been accused of hitting, kicking and spitting at his 2023 celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
This is the latest scandal Strictly has faced in recent months, following Giovanni Pernice’s exit from the show.
But how did events reach this point?
Full timeline of Strictly Come Dancing scandal 2024
Late 2023
In September 2023, Amanda Abbington slapped down tabloid claims of a ‘feud’ between her and pro partner Giovanni Pernice.
Those whispers just wouldn’t go away, however – and the pair addressed the matter on Strictly: It Takes Two.
Amanda said at the time she and Giovanni “laugh a lot” and “have the same sense of humour”.
She added: “We’re having a great time.”
However, in October 2023, Amanda quit the series on medical grounds. She told fans at the time: “I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue.”
Early 2024
Following weeks of speculation about Giovanni’s future, it was reported in January 2024 Amanda had suffered PTSD – and had requested recordings of her training sessions.
A subsequent statement from the BBC addressed duty of care issues. It read: “The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows.”
Come March 2024, fresh claims were reported, claiming Giovanni’s former dance partners Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – as well as Amanda – felt “very unhappy” with how the BBC responded to reported complaints about their rehearsal experiences.
In May, after more allegations about misconduct, Giovanni denied “any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour”. It was then announced he wouldn’t be returning to the series.
Following more allegations, on June 16, Giovanni said on social media: “To my fans and followers, Every week, there are totally untrue stories about me in the media. As you know, I have always rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour. The latest accusations are simply false.
“I am cooperating fully with the ongoing BBC investigation, which will determine the truth. As requested, I have stayed silent, but I am looking forward to the conclusion of the investigation and ultimately clearing my name and establishing the truth.
“I am so happy to be back on tour. Thank you all for your continued support – you messages and love mean so very much to me. I will hopefully see many of you very soon and I look forward to clearing my name.”
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July 2024
By mid-July it was reported the Strictly investigation had ‘widened’ beyond Giovanni.
An unnamed source is said to have claimed: “This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years. The whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.
“Amanda’s complaints have started something massive. They have opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven’t been happy with.”
And then, within a couple of days, Graziano Di Prima was gone from Strictly. Graziano was sacked from the show following claims of gross misconduct.
July 13 – BBC confirms Graziano exit from Strictly
He has been accused of kicking, hitting and spitting at celeb partner Zara McDermott. The BBC said in a statement on July 13: “We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
“While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”
July 13 – Graziano Di Prima issues statement
On Saturday, Graziano spoke out in a statement shared to his Instagram. It read: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
“Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away. While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.
“I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future. I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right I will share my story.”
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July 16 – Zara McDermott shares statement
On Tuesday, Zara spoke out in a statement shared to her Instagram Stories. She said: “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.”
She added: “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.”
July 17 – Third pro dancer ‘named as person of interest’
Additionally, as of Wednesday July 17, the name of a third – and former – Strictly Come Dancing pro is reported to have been passed onto lawyers.
July 18 – Graziano confirms ‘kick’
On July 18, Graziano’s spokesman spoke out and confirmed that Graziano did ‘kick’ Zara – something he “apologised for at the time”.
The dancer’s spokesman Mark Borkowski has told BBC News: “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.”
Mark also told PA news agency: “This week the news agenda has focused on an isolated incident that Mr Di Prima deeply regrets and apologised for at the time.
“The deluge of commentary, too often without context or nuance, has provoked a pile-on that has left a young man in a very vulnerable state. In this case, like in many others, media and social media have immense power to build and destroy careers.”
A spokesman for Zara, meanwhile, has hit back at claims it was an “isolated” incident. They told the BBC: “It’s a matter of public record that the BBC deemed the conduct to be so severe that they removed him from the show immediately.
“Zara has already confirmed in a statement released on her social media earlier this week that the reported conduct was not a singular incident.”
July 18 – Nadiya Bychkova ‘complaint’ emerges
Meanwhile, according to reports, fellow pro dancer Nadiya Bychkova has complained to the BBC.
A source told the MailOnline: “Nadiya got in touch out of the blue and wanted to talk to the bosses. They are taking every single murmur of a complaint seriously now so she was immediately asked in.
“She has been on the show for some years so will have seen and lot and possibly also experienced unpleasant behaviour, she will have worked with many people.
“Things really are getting serious now, it is a mess and it is getting worse by the day.”
They added: “There appears to be some very unhappy people on Strictly. Now there are fears about where this will end, literally nobody knows.”
ED! contacted reps on this story.
Read more: Third Strictly pro ‘named as person of interest’ alongside Giovanni and Graziano
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