Strictly's Graziano Di Prima 'flees the UK to start a new life in Italy' as it's revealed he will sue the BBC for failing to 'help' him with his behaviour toward Zara McDermott

Graziano Di Prima is planning to move back home to Italy to rebuild his life, after he was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing.

The professional dancer, 30, was axed from the BBC show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year's series.

Insiders have now revealed that Graziano is already packing up his life in the UK and plans to start again in Italy alongside his wife Giada, a fellow dancer who stars on the Italian version of Strictly.

A source explained how the dancer, who is planning to sue the BBC following his sacking, has gone into hiding, claiming: 'Graziano is petrified and in a bad place'.

'He is being supported by his wife Giada and they are planning to pack up and move back to Italy. This has killed his career dead and he knows it,' the insider told The Sun. 

'Going back to Italy for a new beginning is what is best for him and Giada.' 

Graziano married Giada in a lavish ceremony in Sicily in 2022, seven years after they got together.

Just two weeks before he was sacked from Strictly, the couple admittef during a joint interview with OK! Magazine that they found being apart during their conflicting TV commitments difficult.

'Strictly changed my life,' Graziano explained. 'But at the same time, I am apart from my wife. It’s one of the toughest times. Strictly takes every minute of your life. From the moment you start until December, you work and live for Strictly. 

Graziano, who was due to compete in his seventh series of Strictly before his sacking, is taking legal action against the BBC, MailOnline revealed on Monday.  

The BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima is taking legal action against the broadcaster.

The Sicilian dancer believes he should have been 'supported and helped' with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island star Zara.

 But a BBC insider told the Mail that the broadcaster will fight back, explaining: 'Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?'

Graziano, who allegedly 'kicked and hit' Zara, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.

A friend of the professional dancer said yesterday: 'There are questions over their [the BBC's] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes.'

'He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.' 

MailOnline revealed today that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him.

The group expected him to be sacked instantly. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse towards Zara was allowed to continue. Graziano was even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.

A source from the show said: 'There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.'

It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara– nine months after their initial complaint – that he was fired.

They presented it to BBC HR executives investigating dancer Giovanni Pernice, following claims from his 2023 partner, actress Amanda, that he bullied her in training. 

Pernice denies the claims and quit the show last month.

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Grazinao wrote on Instagram over the weekend: '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.' Yesterday the Mail revealed he has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible.

Zara, who now presents documentaries for the BBC, is said to have been 'too frightened' to put a complaint in at the time, but is co-operating with investigators at present.