Zara McDermott breaks her silence on the firing of former partner, Graziano

Ex-Strictly contestant, Zara McDermott breaks her silence on the firing of her former partner, Graziano Di Prima, by saying that watching videos back of her time on the show has been “incredibly distressing.”

According to Deadline, Di Prima has left the lineup of the BBC stalwart this year after allegations of “gross misconduct” against one of his female celebrity partners, which was later revealed to be McDermott, a former Love Island contestant who has helmed a number of BBC documentaries. 

It is pertinent to mention that Di Prima has apologized and said he “deeply regrets the events.”

While posting on Instagram today, McDermott began at length by admitting, “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.”

In regards to this, McDermott recounted by saying that her experience in the training room was different and there are people who witnessed incredibly distressing incidents.

McDermott thanked the BBC and producer BBC Studios for their “swift action and incredibly high level of support."

According to Deadline, Di Prima’s exit in these circumstances has landed another blow on the BBC’s most popular entertainment show.