Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima revealed on his Instagram page on Saturday that he had been sacked from Strictly Come Dancing.
The dancer, 30, was hit with claims of gross misconduct by former partner Zara McDermott, The Mail On Sunday confirmed.
It is the latest blow suffered by the BBC show as allegations against fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice are still being investigated.
Graziano’s wife, fellow Italian Giada Lini, who also danced as a professional on Strictly, has yet to speak out about her husband’s untimely departure.
Revealing the reasons behind his sacking, Graziano wrote: ‘I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.
Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 30, revealed on his Instagram page on Saturday that he had been sacked from Strictly Come Dancing
Graziano’s wife, fellow Italian Giada Lini, who also danced as a professional on Strictly, has yet to speak out about her husband’s untimely departure (pictured at their 2022 wedding)
The dancer was hit with claims of gross misconduct by former partner Zara McDermott, 27, The Mail On Sunday confirmed
‘While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.
‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.’
Graziano worked on Strictly from 2018 to 2023, finishing in the top 10 for three out four series he had a celebrity partner.
He and Giada, 34, have been together since 2015, and married in 2022.
In 2019, Graziano, who had turned 25 just days before proposed to Giada, then 28, during the Burn The Floor dance tour’s performance in Watford.
Oti Mabuse revealed the happy event to her Instagram followers, and Kevin Clifton was also there.
The couple had both joined Strictly the year before, and Giada told Hello! Magazine if she was concerned about ‘Italian Stallion’ Graziano falling prey to ‘the Strictly curse’.
She said: ‘I come from the same background so I understand that if you dance together you have to be very close. I’m not jealous of that.’
Revealing the reasons behind his sacking, ‘Italian Stallion’ wrote: ‘My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime’
Graziano worked on Strictly from 2018 to 2023, finishing in the top 10 for three out four series he had a celebrity partner (pictured with Loose Women star Judi Love in 2021)
He and Giada, 34, have been together since 2015, and married in 2022. In 2019, Graziano, who had turned 25 just days before#, proposed to Giada, then 28
Oti Mabuse revealed the happy event to her Instagram followers, and Kevin Clifton was also there
Graziano had some sweet words for Giada, saying: ‘We love each other so we have to be together. I’m alone in this big new world and I need her.
‘We live together so it’s like we’re married. Marriage is very important to both of us. We want to start our life as husband and wife and have our own family. We’ll see when! I just knew from the first day – she changed my life.’
Giada hails from Venice, and Graziano Sicily, and she is a Showdance Latin World Champion finalist.
She is a teacher at the International Dance Bassano school and academy.
During her brief spell on Strictly, she never had a celebrity partner, but appeared in several group numbers.
Giada also performed in the West End dance show Here Come The Boys, at the London Palladium.
Then, in 2021, Giada got her first big break on Italy’s Dancing With The Stars and was partnered with retired footballer Fabio Galante.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline in the wake of the news, a source said Graziano is ‘so happy for Giada to get such a brilliant partner’.
They added: ‘She has been so supportive of him with Judi [Love, his celebrity partner on this year’s Strictly] and now he can’t wait to do the same for her.’
The source also said that Graziano and Giada are ‘so loved-up’ and he considers it a ‘dream come true’ for both he and his wife-to-be to be starring on such huge shows.
Giada hails from Venice, and Graziano Sicily, and she is a Showdance Latin World Champion finalist. She is a teacher at the International Dance Bassano school and academy
During her brief spell on Strictly, she never had a celebrity partner, but appeared in several group numbers
Following a two-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Graziano and Giada finally married in Sicily in July 2022.
The 90-minute Catholic service took place within the Mediterranean island’s Basilica della Madonna della Catena, a historic church situated in the quant village of Castiglione di Sicilia.
A select group of 200 guests attended the ceremony, among them fellow Strictly stars Nadiya Bychkova, Karim Zeroual and Chizzy Akudolu.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Graziano admitted the long awaited service prompted inevitable tears as he finally got to see his partner in her wedding dress.
He said: ‘I tried to be strong all day but I couldn’t stop crying because of the love I feel for Giada. When I saw her arrive in the horse and carriage I started to cry.
‘When she walked down the aisle towards me, I cried more. My mum was holding my elbow, squeezing it for support. It was more than I expected. I must have told her how beautiful she looked 50 or 60 times.’
He added: ‘The fact we were in Sicily, my town, after two years of postponing the wedding with all our family and our friends to witness – it was a feeling so strong.’
In 2023, Graziano shared that he and Giada will wait ‘a few years’ to start a family because dancing careers ‘don’t last very long’.
Speaking at the Bat Out of Hell press night at the Peacock Theatre in London – which runs until the 1st of April – Graziano insisted that he and Giada are ‘giving priority’ to their careers.
In 2021, Giada got her first big break on Italy’s Dancing With The Stars and was partnered with retired footballer Fabio Galante (pictured)
Following a two-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Graziano and Giada finally married in Sicily in July 2022
In 2023, Graziano shared that he and Giada will wait ‘a few years’ to start a family because dancing careers ‘don’t last very long’
He exclusively told MailOnline: ‘We are giving priority to our careers. Our career is not long, so we are going to wait a few years before we think about a family, because I want to still dance, and she wants to still do Dancing With The Stars, but obviously we are thinking about it.’
The Strictly pro gushed over married life, branding it ‘amazing,’ and reminisced over their time together since they wed.
He said: ‘We got married in July last year, and we have just been on our honeymoon together in the Maldives. It was paradise – it was beautiful.
‘We’re living in London. We’ve already been married almost one year, but it feels like we’ve been married six or seven years because we’re always together – it’s beautiful.’
But, Graziano confessed that it hasn’t all been easy, with the newlyweds forced to spend a ‘tough’ three months apart because of their conflicting schedules.
He said: Giada does Dancing With The Stars in Italy, and Strictly is at the same time so we were apart for three months – it was very tough.
‘But then we spent Christmas together, and now we’re working on a new dance musical together – La Bamba. She’s from Venice, and I’m from Sicily so we did the wedding there because my family is huge.’
In 2024, Giada and Graziano completed their tour Believe: My Life On Stage, marking Graziano’s first non-Strictly tour.
In 2024, Giada and Graziano completed their tour Believe: My Life On Stage, marking Graziano’s first non-Strictly tour
The show told Giovanni’s story in his ‘distinct style’ and described itself as an ‘electrifying evening of Latin and Ballroom dancing’ and a ‘tribute’ to his ‘Italian ancestors’.
When the tour concluded in April, Giovanni said: ‘I want to thank you all one by one!! I loved, cried, laughed every second of it!!
‘@giada.lini amore you are my strength, thank you for always being on my side! thank you to all the people involved!! Thank you the Incredible Cast, guys you are amazing!!
‘As I said in every speech in the show: If you have a passion do not doubt yourself, BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS! See you next time with love Graz.’
