Reality star and presenter Zara McDermott has said she “wrestled with the fear” of speaking out about her time on Strictly Come Dancing, following her former professional partner Graziano Di Prima’s exit from the show.
The 27-year-old appeared on the show last year and was partnered with Di Prima.
In a statement shared on social media, McDermott said she had dreamed of appearing on Strictly since she was a child and most of her experience was “amazing” – but “inside the training room was very different”.
Footage of “particular incidents” has been “incredibly distressing to watch”, the star said, adding that she had been “scared” of a potential public backlash to speaking out.
“I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,” she wrote in a message to her two million followers on Instagram.
McDermott, who is now a documentary presenter and media personality after rising to fame on Love Island, described Strictly as “one of the most magical shows on TV” and said it was “a childhood dream come true” when she was asked to take part.
“I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it,” she said. “I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.”
The star went on to say that “so much” of her experience met her expectations, as “the entire production team and everyone behind the scenes”, as well as her fellow contestants, “were so amazing to work with”.
‘I was scared’
However, she continued: “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.
“The culture within our society makes it difficult to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I’ve seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.”
McDermott thanked the BBC for their “swift action and incredibly high level of support”, as well as those who have sent kind messages. “It truly means a lot,” she said.
Italian dancer Di Prima joined Strictly in 2018 and his celebrity partners have included radio DJ Vick Hope, Loose Women panellist Judi Love and TV presenter Kym Marsh, as well as McDermott.
In a statement shared on Instagram at the weekend, Di Prima said his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected” his training regime and that it was “best for the show” to step away.
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A BBC spokesperson confirmed Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series and said 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”.
Another professional dancer, Giovanni Pernice, has also left the show amid allegations about his teaching methods.
The 33-year-old has previously dismissed allegations he displayed “abusive or threatening behaviour” as “simply false” and said he is “cooperating fully” with an ongoing BBC investigation.
Strictly Come Dancing returns in the autumn for its next series, which marks the 20th anniversary of the show.
