Fern Britton's latest snap sparks fan concern after Strictly 'kicking' comments resurface

After Graziano di Prima admitted to kicking his dance partner Zara McDermott last year and published a statement about his regret, Fern Britton hit the spotlight over her previous claims that she'd been kicked too.

In a recently resurfaced interview addressing her 2012 Strictly appearance with Artem Chigvintsev, she spoke out saying that he'd "kicked and shoved" her at times when her steps weren't correct. Artem spoke to Express.co.uk to deny her claims, declaring that he didn't recognise the man she had portrayed as who he was.

Fern declined to make a comment this week as her words resurfaced - but she has now broken her silence on Twitter as she celebrates her 67th birthday. The This Morning host turned best-selling author has been taking a trip in her home region of Cornwall to honour the big day, which gave her the opportunity to realise a previously unfulfilled dream.

"Birthday spread over two days hence costume change," she revealed in a tweet published this morning, punctuating her emotions with a tears of laughter emoji. "Ice creams in Looe and crossing the river on the ferry. I always wanted to be the Ferry Boatman since I was 4. A dream unfulfilled," she continued.

Fern then teasingly added: "What might have been...." She followed up to share that she'd also taken a Sealife Safari adventure in Padstow to see dolphins.

Bringing fans into her experience immersively, she attached a video, telling her 151,000 followers: "Listen and you’ll hear their little squeaks!"

Fans rushed to the picture to comment on Fern's appearance as one fan asked: "Fern are you on Ozempic!" and another asked: "Good god. You have lost sooo much weight. Are you ok," to which Fern responded: "I am!"

Others commented on how stunning Fern looked, as one penned: "You look marvellous, Fern," and another agreed: "Looking amazing."

She grinned broadly in the snaps, which shared her celebrations with her family, and it looked as though the traumas of her Strictly experience were a million miles away. However, years previously, she'd made candid comments to the Times about Artem.

"He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me," she stated.

Detailing a "grim" experience, she said he'd also resorted to verbal aggression, at one point allegedly telling her: "Shut your face. Go home before I kill you."

Fern continued: "I would say, 'Oh please just kill me, it would be easier'.

"Or what was his other one? 'If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb.' I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one."

At the time, Artem vehemently denied the claims, insisting: "I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am. I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me."

Giovanni Pernice also issued a denial of claims made by his 2023 partner Amanda Abbington, who withdrew from the show early citing mild PTSD, but Graziano di Prima has now admitted to kicking Zara McDermott the same year and says he deeply "regrets" the events that took place.