Zara McDermott has announced a new project following reports of allegations that former Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima ‘kicked and hit’ her when they were training for the 2023 series.
McDermott posted a picture of herself smiling and holding a film camera on Instagram to her 2million followers.
While she makes it clear she can’t yet tell fans much about her newest project as its ‘an extremely sensitive subject,’ she does thank them for their ‘recent love.’
The caption of the post reads: ‘Doing what I love… the best job in the world💛 The art of storytelling through documentaries… and I’m learning more and more every single day (including how to properly use a camera and hopefully direct one day).
‘I cannot believe I’ve been doing this job for almost 5 years now. We are currently working on an incredible new series that has been in production for a good while; I would love to tell you more but it’s about an extremely sensitive subject (perhaps my most sensitive yet) and it’s impossible for me to talk about without my compromising the safety of our contributors.
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‘There’s an incredible team around me who are helping me navigate this subject with so much care & purpose. When I can share more, I will. ❤️ thank you guys for all your recent love and support on my work xxx’
This follows the bombshell news that broke on July 13 when Di Prima confirmed in a statement that he had left the BBC series, after it was claimed that there were ‘physical incidents’ that occurred behind the scenes, which were investigated internally.
As reactions to the news spread online, McDermott posted a statement about the alleged incidents explaining how Strictly was a dream job for her, and so when selected to take part last year, she gave it her full commitment.
‘Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl. When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true,’ she wrote.
‘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. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with.’
‘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.
‘I would like to thank the BBC & BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me it really truly means a lot.
‘Love, always Zara,’ the social media message concluded.
This came amid the investigation that is being conducted into the behaviour of ex Strictly star Giovanni Pernice, who was labelled ‘nasty’ by his former partner Amanda Abbington, who withdrew from the competition prematurely last year.
Giovanni, 33, said that he looked forward to ‘clearing his name’ as he rejected ‘any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour’.
Following the allegations of ‘physical incidents’ made against him, Graziano wrote in a statement posted on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the actions 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.’
The BBC confirmed the 30-year-old’s exit from Strictly in a statement, which read: ‘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 news of Graziano’s exit from Strictly came after it was announced that he would be in the professional dancer line-up for the upcoming 2024 series, which will mark the show’s 20th anniversary.
In a new update, it’s been alleged that Graziano reportedly ‘kicked and hit’ Zara while they were training for Strictly.
According to The Mail on Sunday, former Love Island star Zara, 27, experienced repeated ‘physical and verbal abuse’ behind the scenes of the show.
When contacted for comment by Metro.co.uk, Graziano’s representative referred to the earlier statement that the dancer posted on Instagram.
At the time of writing, Graziano and Zara no longer follow each other on Instagram.
The Italian professional dancer first joined Strictly in 2018, with his first celebrity partner being TV and radio presenter Vick Hope.
He went on to be partnered with celebrities including Loose Women star Judi Love and Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh.
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Metro.co.uk has contacted Zara McDermott’s representative for comment.
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