Zara McDermott reportedly broke a leg bone during rehearsals for 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Zara McDermott reportedly suffered a broken bone during Strictly training
The former 'Love Island' star joined the BBC talent show last year and recently hit headlines after her dancer partner Graziano Di Prima was accused of mistreating her during training - and now it has emerged Zara was battling a painful injury and didn't seek hospital treatment until after she was eliminated.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Zara had started getting injured in the build-up to the Halloween dance then something went on the morning, meaning she danced with a fractured leg all that week ...
"She started developing a really bad, niggly pain in her left leg at training. The pain got worse and by the last few weeks, she was in agony, popping painkillers before, during and after sessions.
"She made Graziano aware of her discomfort but he was pretty adamant they needed to crack on."
The publication reports Zara was diagnosed with severe ligament damage plus a stress fracture on her left tibia, but she didn't reveal the injury to BBC bosses at the time.
She's believed to have opened up about her fractured leg during discussions as part of the BBC's inquiry into 'Strictly' following allegations made by a number of contestants, including Amanda Abbington, about their treatment on the show.
The insider added to The Sun: "[Zara] wasn’t seen to by medics on site, and production weren’t aware of the extent of her injury.
"By the time of her last dance, she was in a lot of pain and limping through the moves. It was only after she left the show, and the pain became agonising, that she was referred to hospital and a hairline stress fracture was discovered in her tibia alongside ligament damage.
"Zara didn’t want to make a fuss, so didn’t alert anyone at the BBC until two weeks ago."
Graziano was recently axed from the show and shared his "regrets" in a candid post on Instagram, writing: "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."
Zara also posted about her experience on the show, writing: "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 ... "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."
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