Strictly Come Dancing pro admits to kicking Love Island star during rehearsal

Dancing With the Stars’ parent show is in the midst of a scandal.

A rep for Graziano Di Prima admitted that the former Strictly Come Dancing pro dancer kicked his celebrity partner, former Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, while they rehearsed for the show.

"There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right," his representative Mark Borkowski told BBC News. "He knows he's made a mistake. He apologised at the time."

McDermott and Di Prima competed on series 21 of the British dancing show, upon which the American Dancing With the Stars is based, in October 2023. They were ultimately eliminated fifth, while Coronation Street star Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola won the series.

Di Prima confirmed that he was leaving the show, which ordinarily reuses pro dancers every season, last week. “I deeply regret the actions that led to my departure from Strictly,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”

McDermott posted about the situation on Instagram on Tuesday, stating that although “the entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with,” her “experience inside the training room was very different,” and that “there were witnesses to some events as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.”

A rep for McDermott noted that the kicking incident, which was allegedly captured on video but has not been seen by media outlets, was not the only example of Di Prima’s allegedly problematic conduct. "It’s a matter of public record that the BBC deemed the conduct to be so severe that they removed him from the show immediately,” the rep told BBC News. "Zara has already confirmed in a statement released on her social media earlier this week that the reported conduct was not a singular incident.”

The Di Prima controversy comes in the wake of another dancer from series 21, Giovanni Pernice, being accused of toxic behavior behind the scenes. Pernice’s celebrity partner, Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington, exited the show during its sixth week of competition, leading to speculation about the dancer’s conduct. In May, legal firm Carter-Ruck told BBC News that it had contacted the BBC about “numerous serious complaints” regarding Pernice’s behavior.

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Pernice denied any wrongdoing on Instagram. “I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name,” he wrote in May. “Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.”

The BBC confirmed that Pernice would not be part of its 2024 dancer lineup in June. Pernice then posted another statement on Instagram, saying “I have always rejected any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour. The latest accusations are simply false.” He also noted that he’s cooperating with an “ongoing BBC investigation” and that he looks forward to “clearing my name and establishing the truth.”

On Tuesday, the BBC announced that it will be implementing additional safety protocols on Strictly Come Dancing. Chaperones will now be present during all rehearsals, two new welfare producers have been added to production, and crew will undergo additional safety training. Deadline also reported that the U.S. version of Dancing With the Stars is undergoing discussions about adding similar safety measures.