Zara McDermott and boyfriend Sam Thompson unfollow Strictly’s Graziano Di Prima after he was accused of ‘hitting and kicking her’ in rehearsals

Zara McDermott and her boyfriend Sam Thompson have unfollowed her Strictly Come Dancing partner Graziano Di Prima after he was fired from the BBC show.

The professional dancer has been accused of ‘punching and kicking’ the Love Island star when she appeared on the show last year, but in an interview that emerged today he called her the ‘perfect student’.

Now Zara and Graziano, who made it to week six of the BBC competition, have unfollowed each other on social media following the allegations.

And her boyfriend Sam, winner of the I’m A Celebrity series, has also unfollowed the BBC star following the news, in a show of support for his girlfriend.

In a resurfaced video interview, Zara and Graziano appeared to be completely happy with each other, with the Italian dancer praising the TV personality, calling her a “perfect student.”

The professional dancer (pictured) has been accused of ‘punching and kicking’ the Love Island star during her time on the show last year, despite him calling her the ‘perfect student’ in a resurfaced interview

Graziano discussed Zara’s progression, given that she had no dance background, saying: ‘You can’t compare us to anyone else – she’s never danced before… this is her journey, she just has this opportunity to learn how to dance. I want to make it the most memorable and fun thing that she’ll remember forever.’

Zara added: ‘In the world of Strictly, anything can happen. You never know how long or short your journey is going to be.

“But all I know is that we put in all the hours, all the effort, and we do our very best. And that’s all I can ask for.”

Graziano replied: ‘What more can you ask for, than such a student? She gives everything, a perfect answer, 10 out of 10.’

The Mail on Sunday has exclusively revealed that Zara, who starred alongside Graziano in last year’s series of Strictly, has been 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.”

The professional dancer joined Strictly in 2018 and paired up with Zara last year, but they were eliminated in week six.

Now both Zara and Graziano, who made it through to week six in the BBC competition, have unfollowed each other on social media following the allegations

And her boyfriend Sam (pictured with Zara), winner of the I’m A Celebrity campaign, has also unfollowed the BBC star following the news.

In a resurfaced video interview, it appears the couple are perfectly happy with each other as Italian dancer Graziano praised Zara, calling her a ‘perfect student’

The Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed that Zara, who starred with Graziano in last year’s Strictly, was the victim of repeated physical and verbal abuse.

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 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.’

A post on Di Prima’s Instagram read: ‘My intense passion and determination to win may have affected my training regime’

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.

McDermott rose to fame through his role in Love Island and has since become a documentary presenter for the BBC.