Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima has confirmed that he is leaving the BBC dance competition, and ‘deeply regrets’ his actions.
Although the Italian dancer, 30, was confirmed to be participating in the next season of the dance competition, it has now been claimed that the dancer has been dropped from the show.
The dancer took to social media to reveal that he would no longer be participating in the show.
‘I deeply regret the events that led me to my departure from Strictly.
‘My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
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‘Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand that it’s best for the show if 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 friends and family.’
‘I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future. I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally.
He concluded by saying: ‘When the time is right, I will share my story.’
The BBC confirmed the dancer’s departure and said in a statement to The Mirror: ‘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.’
The dancer first joined the show in 2018 and was paired with Vick Hope. He went on to dance with Judi Love, Kym Marsh, and then most recently Zara McDermott.
It has been reported that there were ‘physical incidents’ involving former Love Island star, Zara McDermott that were investigated internally.
It was suggested that the dancer was let go on Monday after the investigation.
The Sun reported that Di Prima is facing allegations of ‘physical and verbal’ behaviour.
The Mail on Sunday was told by an unnamed source: ‘Graziano had to go. It has been awful.’
Another told the outlet that Amanda Abbington’s complaints against Giovanni Pernice may have encouraged McDermott to speak out.
‘It seems that whatever Gio has done it opened a can of worms.’
‘It is incredibly brave of Zara to have come forward, it is never easy for a woman or indeed anyone who has been mistreated to do that.’
This has not been confirmed, and Di Prima and McDermott still follow each other on Instagram.
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