Former 'Strictly Come Dancing' star Graziano Di Prima apologised for kicking his former dance partner Zara McDermott during rehearsals.
Graziano Di Prima apologised after kicking Zara McDermott
The professional dancer was axed from the BBC show earlier this month amid allegations his mistreated his 2023 celebrity partner Zara and reports suggest he was let go just hours after BBC bosses were shown a video which is said to have shown him kicking the former 'Love Island' star.
Now Graziano's representative has insisted the dancer knows he "made a mistake" and "apologised" to Zara after the incident.
Mark Borkowski 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."
After he was dropped from the show, Graziano expressed his regrets in a statement post on Instagram. He wrote: "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."
The news followed the confirmation fellow professional dancer Giovanni Pernice will also not be returning to the programme amid allegations about his treatment of his celebrity dance partners.
Giovanni has previously rejected "any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour" and said he was surprised by the allegations made against him.
BBC bosses didn't comment on the allegations against Graziano but said they were aware of their duty of care. A spokesperson said: "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 robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate."
Zara previously addressed the furore in her own statement. She wrote on Instagram: "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 worth 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."
Zara concluded her post by thanking the BBC for their "swift action and incredibly high level of support".
She added: "I would like to thank the BBC and 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."
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