Inside the 'ultra tough' Italian dance school attended by under-fire pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima: Strictly stars faced 12 hours of training and were even hospitalised after being told 'skinny was good'
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For years, Strictly Come Dancing has been known as the sparkly jewel in the BBC's crown, where some of the world's best dancers offer their expertise to celebrities in a bid to win the coveted Glitterball trophy.
But that crown has noticeably slipped in recent weeks, with the news that Graziano Di Prima was sacked by bosses over reports he verbally and physically abused celebrity partner Zara McDermott, just weeks after it emerged Giovanni Pernice was being investigated following a complaint by Amanda Abbington.
While the dance world has long been known for its fiercely competitive nature, Giovanni and Graziano's drive to win may have stemmed from their early training, having attended the biggest dance academies in Europe.
Both performers, who hail from Sicily, attended the prestigious Team Diablo, which thanks to its ruthless 'take no prisoners' approach to training, has been the origin for some of the biggest Latin dance champions in the world.
However, stars who attended the school have also stated that they endured gruelling conditions at the school, including 12-hour days in training and dangerous levels of weight loss after being told that 'skinny is good.'
As Strictly finds itself in its biggest crisis in the show's 20-year history, MailOnline takes a look at the school where many of its professionals kickstarted their careers...
Weight loss concerns
Strictly pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima's competitive nature may have stemmed from their earlist training, having attended Team Diablo, the biggest dance school in Europe
Giovanni (left) quit Strictly after being accused of bullying his celebrity partner, while Graziano (right) was sacked by bosses after being accused of physically abusing one star
Students who attended Team Diablo, which has 11,000 members, face up to 12 hours of training per day, and were drilled to repeat steps on a loop in a bid to perfect their routines
Joanne Clifton, who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 alongside Ore Oduba, previously shared that she was hospitalised due to dangerous weight loss after joining the school at 17
Students who attended Team Diablo, which has 11,000 members, faced up to 12 hours of training per day, and were drilled to repeat steps on a loop in a bid to perfect their routines.
Stars who have attended the school, have also shared how they lost dangerous amounts of weight, after restricting their diets in a bid to keep up with their rivals.
Joanne Clifton, who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 alongside Ore Oduba, previously shared that she was hospitalised due to her concerning weight loss after drinking up to '10 espressos a day'.
'The problem was there were too many dancers — including me — who thought being skinny was good. As well as doing my best to limit my intake of pizza and pasta, and drinking up to ten espressos a day, I cut out meat, which led to me being hospitalised with anaemia,' she said.
'That feeling of low energy was horrendous and impacted on my training. For a period of four months, I remember collapsing unexplainably — my body was telling me to change something.'
Joanne previously recalled the hard-hitting methods adapted by coaches at the school, saying: 'From the age of 16 to 28, I danced in Italy with Team Diablo. Unlike the UK, in Italy there's a club system for dancing, with a coach who manages every part of your training.
'So on top of endless hours of stretching and training, our diet was regulated. I wasn't anorexic, but I was obviously too thin.'
Brutal teaching methods
Diablo's teachers stand by the school's gruelling teaching methods, and for many dancers, the hard work pays off with national dance titles (Graziano is pictured)
Graziano was fired by Strictly bosses last week after footage allegedly emerged that showed him repeatedly hitting is celebrity partner Zara McDermott
In an interview with The Telegraph, Diablo's teachers stand by the school's gruelling teaching methods, with Anna Matus saying: 'They can be here for eight hours, sometimes 12 hours a day. They are athletes, they are competitors.'
Simone Cané, who is the director of the Paladanze school, which is affiliated with Team Diablo, said: 'To be successful in this business you have to put in the training, the athletic preparation and make many sacrifices. When you are dancing as a couple, your partner also has to operate the same way.'
At Paladanze, hopefuls are typically awake by 7.30am and are usually on the dance floor rehearsing, or in the gym to complete a two-hour workout by 9am.
Dancers work with a psychologist, and complete regular massages, and must stick to a strict diet prescribed by dietitians, which includes plenty of pasta and other carbohydrates.
Team Diablo is unfortunately far from the only dance school to face such accusations around tough conditions.
BBC Panorama reported last year that the Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School had 'toxic' body shaming culture where teachers taunted pupils over their size and even led one dancer to attempt ending her life.
BBC Panorama said that while neither school wanted to be interviewed for their programme, Elmhurst in a statement said it 'promotes good physical and mental health' and 'acts whenever issues are identified'.
A Team Diablo staff member also denied students are pushed too hard, but said that the teaching methods adopted shouldn't be taken lightly.
Monica Cinti, secretary to the director, told The Sun: 'Teaching methods are not harsh, but require serious preparation.
'There is a regulation to follow, technical and ethical, such as one must not interfere in the work of others.
'Here, we create world champions. In the last three to four years, we have had a boom in members and world champions'.
Overwhelming pressure
At Paladanze, which is affiliated with Team Diablo, hopefuls are typically awake by 7.30am and are usually on the dance floor rehearsing by 9am
Many of Team Diablo's students join the school when they are just teenagers, with Giovanni moving 800 miles from his home in Sicily.
The dancer admitted that he would break down in tears while struggling with homesickness, but ploughed on over fears he would let down his parents, traffic warden dad Piero and mum Rosalda, after they made huge sacrifices so he could attend.
He said: 'It was hard as I was just a boy, and without my family by my side every day, I felt as if I lost 50 per cent of my strength. At first there were times where I did cry on the phone to my mamma.'
In 2000 Joanne moved from her home in the UK to Italy to train with Team Diablo when she was just 17, and admitted that the 'strict' training methods took a huge toll on her physical health.
Joanne told Time and Leisure: 'I spent 14 years of my life there. It was like a university of ballroom dancing, the training was very strict. We all had a personal trainer and have to do a certain amount of hours of gym a week.
'And then there were classes where we'd learn dance theory, anatomy, nutrition, and teaching methods. Physically, it was very, very hard but it led me to the World Championship, and then to Strictly.'
Of course for many professionals, their hard work pays off with Giovanni winning the Italian Open Championship in 2012. Joanne was also crowned the European Professional Ballroom champion in the same year.
Physical assault
Strictly ex-pro Brendan Cole (pictured in 2016) has shared that brutal teaching methods aren't restricted to just Team Diablo, sharing that he was physically assaulted by a dance teacher
Former Strictly professional Brendan Cole has shared that brutal teaching methods are far from restricted to just Team Diablo.
The New Zealand dancer, who hails from New Zealand and left the series in 2018, admitted he was physically assaulted by one of his dance teachers while studying in the UK.
He previously said: 'My instructor used to hit me on purpose. He used to dig his nails into my back.'
Graziano was sacked by Strictly Come Dancing bosses last week after alleged footage allegedly emerged that showed him verbally and physically abusing his celebrity partner Zara.
MailOnline revealed 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.
Giovanni denies the claims and quit the show last month.
Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Graziano 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.
'While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn't allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.
It comes just weeks after BBC bosses began an investigation into Giovanni, following claims from his 2023 partner, actress Amanda Abbington, that he bullied her in training
'There's more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.'
The Mail previously revealed that Giovanni has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible.
As more shocking allegations have come to light over Graziano's sacking, there has been a marked difference in public support for him.
It is the latest blow suffered by the BBC show, which is still watched by more than ten million people, as allegations against fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice are still being investigated.
Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.
It means that Pernice, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, faces an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including actress Abbington, instructed lawyers to make 'serious complaints' about his conduct.
