Former Strictly stars Catherine Tyldesley and Susannah Constantine have both left encouraging comments on Graziano Di Prima’s Instagram post in which he revealed he had been fired from the show.
The BBC has sacked the professional dancer following allegations of serious misconduct against his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Following this, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Zara had been repeatedly subjected to physical and verbal abuse behind the scenes of the show on Saturday night.
Now Catherine and Susannah have both voiced their support for Graziano, although it is unclear whether their comments were made before the full allegations were revealed.
Catherine first wrote, ‘What no’ before adding a second comment which said, ‘You are the kindest, incredibly talented, most gentle man… I’m so sorry. Sending you so much love x’
Two former Strictly stars have left encouraging comments on Graziano Di Prima’s Instagram post after he was sacked by the BBC following allegations of serious misconduct against his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott
Catherine Tyldesley (left) and Susannah Constantine (right) have both voiced their support for Graziano. However, it is unclear whether their comments were made before the full allegations were revealed.
Susannah wrote: ‘What the hell??? You were always so sweet, kind, funny and thoughtful to me Graziano. Be true to yourself. Cream always rises. Lots of love x’
MailOnline has contacted Catherine and Susannah’s representatives for comment.
The message on Graziano’s Instagram reads: ‘I deeply regret the events that have led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime.
‘While I respect the BBC HR process, I recognise that it is only right for the good of the show that I step back. I regret that I was not able to offer a quote for the online news stories and I take the sensitivity of the situation to heart.
“There is more to this story that I cannot discuss at this time, but I am determined to be strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.”
Zara has since unfollowed her Strictly partner Graziano, but still follows his wife, Giada Lini.
It comes after it was revealed on Saturday that Graziano had been sacked from the show by BBC bosses after he kicked and punched his former partner Zara.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Ms McDermott, who starred alongside the Italian dancer in last year’s series, was the victim of repeated physical and verbal abuse behind the scenes of the show on Saturday night.
It is yet another blow to the BBC programme, which is still watched by more than 10 million people, as allegations against fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice are still being investigated.
Graziano wrote on his Instagram page: “My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime.”
A post on Graziano’s Instagram read: ‘My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime’
Catherine first wrote, ‘What no’ before adding a second comment which said, ‘You are the kindest, incredibly talented, most gentle man… I’m so sorry. Sending you so much love x’
Susannah wrote: ‘What the hell??? You were always so sweet, kind, funny and thoughtful to me Graziano. Be true to yourself. Cream always rises. Lots of love x’
Zara McDermott stuns in a lilac jumpsuit with her Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima
Love Island’s Zara McDermott spotted with her Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima in 2023
Graziano joined Strictly in 2018 and paired up with Love Island star Zara last year, but they were eliminated in week six.
He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-finals with actor Kym Marsh.
Graziano’s wife, Italian Giada Lini, who also danced professionally on Strictly, has not yet spoken out about her husband’s early departure.
He continued on Instagram: ‘While I respect the BBC HR process, I recognise that it is only right for the good of the show that I step back. I regret that I was not able to provide a quote for the online news stories and I take the sensitivity of the situation to heart.
“There is more to this story that I cannot discuss at this time, but I am determined to be strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.”
The complaint was filed recently and prompted the BBC to expand its ongoing investigation into claims that Giovanni Pernice bullied his partner Amanda Abbington during training.
Sources inside the show say Graziano’s behavior makes Amanda’s claims that Giovanni bruised her toe during rehearsals seem “minimal.”
A source said: ‘It was at that meeting that it all happened.’
Graziano’s wife, Italian compatriot Giada Lini, who also danced professionally on Strictly, has not yet spoken out about her husband’s early departure
Graziano Di Prima (left) dances with former Strictly partner Loose Women star Judi Love (right) in 2021
Di Prima (left) reached the quarter-finals of the dance show in 2022 with actor Kym Marsh (right)
A source said: ‘It seems whatever Gio has done has opened a Pandora’s box.
“It’s incredibly brave of Zara to come forward. It’s never easy for a woman, or anyone who has been mistreated, to do something like this.”
The complaint was not filed by Zara itself, but after a number of Strictly production staff raised Graziano’s behaviour with their bosses.
Subsequently, BBC executives contacted her management and she was invited for an interview about his behaviour.
The complaint was filed recently and prompted the BBC to expand its ongoing investigation into claims that Giovanni Pernice bullied his partner Amanda Abbington during training.
Sources inside the show say Graziano’s behavior makes Amanda’s claims that Giovanni bruised her toe during rehearsals seem “minimal.”
A source said: ‘It was at that meeting that it all happened.’
Zara rose to fame through her role in Love Island and has since become a documentary presenter for the BBC.
In 2021, she revealed that revenge porn made her think about suicide after a boy shared naked photos of her at school when she was just 14.
Her boyfriend, Sam Thompson, won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2023, beating the likes of Tony Bellew and Nigel Farage to claim the title of King of the Jungle.
Her boyfriend, Sam Thompson, won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2023, beating Tony Bellew and Nigel Farage to claim the title of King of the Jungle.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Graziano had been sacked, saying: ‘We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer part of the line-up of professional dancers’
However, sources claim the couple have recently been in “crisis talks.”
Appearing on Strictly in 2023, Zara said of her dance partner: ‘God bless Graz, I started with no dance or performance experience and he put all his energy into teaching me, with so much kindness, patience and passion.’
When she was eliminated from the BBC show, Zara burst into tears as she said: “I’ve had the time of my life. Just to be here is incredible. Thanks to the judges and my amazing partner, of course.”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Graziano had been dismissed, saying: ‘We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima will no longer be part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we will never comment on individual cases, the BBC is known to have robust duty of care procedures in place and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act promptly as required.’