Graziano Di Prima has insisted he’s “not an abusive man” after being axed from ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The skilled dancer left the BBC dance present after allegations over his behaviour in direction of his 2023 superstar dance accomplice Zara McDermott however Graziano has insisted he’s harmless.
He advised Mail+: “I did not intentionally harm anybody. I am not a monster. I am not an abusive man.
“The one factor I can consider is the time I kicked the ground in frustration. We might practised hour after hour to excellent a routine with lifts. It wasn’t simple however that is the strain of the present. I wasn’t that means to kick her. I would by no means, by no means do this. My foot brushed her after I kicked the ground. Afterwards I hugged her and stated I used to be sorry. There was no downside. We carried on.
“I am unsure if that is it or if it is from after we, as skilled dancers, transfer our accomplice’s leg with our foot. That’s what is so troublesome for me – not figuring out.”
And, Graziano insisted he’ll “dance once more”.
He stated: “Proper now, my fame is zero and it’ll take a superhuman effort for me to rise up from this gap. However I do imagine the reality at all times wins ultimately. I’m decided to not let my and my household’s lives be destroyed.”
“I’ll dance once more. I’ll carry pleasure to individuals once more with my dancing as a result of that is who I’m: a global skilled dancer, a person of integrity, a loving husband and son who has by no means forgotten the place he is come from. I cannot let these lies outline me. They aren’t who I’m.”
After he was axed from the present, Graziano shared his “regrets” in a candid put up on Instagram, writing: “I deeply remorse the occasions that led to my departure from ‘Strictly’.
“My intense ardour and dedication to win might need affected my coaching regime. Respecting the BBC HR course of, I perceive it is best for the present that I step away.
“Whereas there are features of this story involving exterior influences that I can not talk about at the moment, I stay dedicated to being sturdy for my household and buddies.
“I want the Strictly household and the BBC nothing however success sooner or later. I additionally need to thank everybody who has supported my profession, each professionally and personally. When the time is correct, I’ll share my story.”
Zara additionally posted about her expertise on the present, writing: “After I was invited to be a contestant on the present it actually was a childhood dream come true.
“I absolutely understood the extent of dedication and arduous work that ‘Strictly’ was going to be and I devoted all the pieces to it.
“I’m a resilient particular person and I used to be absolutely ready to place in no matter it took. And a lot of my ‘Strictly’ expertise was all the pieces I may have dreamt of … “Nevertheless, my expertise contained in the coaching room was very totally different. Reviews have been made about my therapy on the present and there have been witnesses to some occasions, in addition to movies of explicit incidents that are extremely distressing to observe.
“I’ve wrestled with the concern of opening up – I used to be scared about public backlash, I used to be scared about my future, I used to be petrified of sufferer shaming. However after a variety of conversations with these I really like, I’ve gained the energy to face these fears, and after I was requested to talk to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the present.”