Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima leaves BBC show
Graziano Di Prima, the star of Strictly Come Dancing, has announced that he is departing from the show following accusations of improper behavior.
The 30-year-old Italian dancer expressed in a statement that he is very sorry for the circumstances that led to his departure.
It was revealed that Di Prima was fired from the BBC One show after being accused of serious misconduct towards a former dance partner.
On Instagram, he shared his feelings by saying, "I am very sorry for what happened that made me leave Strictly. My strong desire to win may have impacted the way I trained."
Following the guidelines set by the BBC HR department, I believe it is in the best interest of the show for me to resign.
Although there are parts of this story that are influenced by outside sources which I can't talk about right now, I am still dedicated to being a source of strength for my loved ones.
I hope that the Strictly family and the BBC continue to thrive in the future. I am grateful for all the support I have received in my career, both from my colleagues and loved ones. I will share my story when the timing feels right.
Di Prima became a member of the cast of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Throughout his time on the show, he has been paired with various famous partners such as radio host Vick Hope, TV presenter Kym Marsh, and Love Island contestant Zara McDermott.
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A representative from the BBC confirmed that Graziano Di Prima will not be returning as a professional dancer for the next season of Strictly Come Dancing.
Even though we can't talk about specific situations, it's common knowledge that the BBC has strong procedures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved. If any concerns are brought to our attention, we will address them promptly and take action as needed.
This news came out after the broadcaster announced that Giovanni Pernice would not be included in the group of professionals due to accusations regarding his teaching techniques.
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The 33-year-old Italian performer has denied the claims of "abusive or threatening behavior" as untrue and stated that he is fully cooperating with the current BBC inquiry.
Strictly will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the next season, featuring dancers such as Vito Coppola, the champion of 2023, and Amy Dowden, who was unable to participate in the previous season due to being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
Aljaz Skorjanec, who was the champion in his first year in 2013 with model Abbey Clancy, is also going to come back to the show after taking a two-year break.
