Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima has given his first interview since it was confirmed he would not be returning to the show.
Graziano was first revealed to be returning to Strictly’s line-up of resident professionals back in June, but a month later, it was abruptly announced this would no longer be the case, amid an ongoing investigation into the long-running show sparked by complaints made by several former contestants.
“I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly,” Graziano said at the time. “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.”
Reports have since alleged that during training for last year’s show, Graziano kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
A rep for Graziano claimed this to be true back in July, although during a new interview with the Daily Mail published over the weekend, he claimed he could not recall the incident in question.
“You can’t imagine how many times my mind has been going back and forward trying to think of something that happened all those months ago that I can’t figure out,” he said from his home country of Italy, where he is now living.
“The only thing I can think of is the time I kicked the floor in frustration. We’d practised hour after hour to perfect a routine with lifts. It wasn’t easy but that’s the pressure of the show. I was in pain from lifting her so many times but wanted to get it right. I thought I could save her [from elimination].
“I wasn’t meaning to kick her. I’d never, never do that. My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor. Afterwards I hugged her and said I was sorry. There was no problem. We carried on.”
Graziano went on to insist he was neither a “monster” nor an “abusive man”.
HuffPost UK has contacted the BBC for comment.
The broadcaster previously said of the Italian dancer’s exit: “While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”
Zara issued a statement of her own on the matter shortly after Graziano’s exit, which read: “So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of [...] 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.”
For the past week, Strictly bosses have been unveiling the celebrity contestants who’ll be competing on this year’s series, which is expected to begin airing on the BBC next month.