Strictly Come Dancing’s Graziano Di Prima is reportedly under ‘medical supervision’ after he was cut from BBC show.
Bosses have apologised after former contestants, including Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington, spoke out about behind-the-scenes abuse.
Footage then emerged of Graziano, 30, physically and verbally abusing Zara, 27, in training with the star revealing she danced with a broken leg during the show.
Now, his family have said that they are ‘deeply concerned’ for the dancer’s welfare after the accusations.
His family members told The Mirror: ‘Graziano is currently under medical supervision, with the stress of the situation causing significant concern for his family, who are monitoring him hourly.
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‘The unrelenting feeding frenzy over these accusations and his mental state leaves him at this time unable to defend himself.’
He is said to have flown out to Italy to be with his family, staying on their remote farmhouse surrounded by vineyards away from the public eye.
This comes days after sources told The Sun that Zara danced with a fractured leg for the week leading up to the Halloween performance during the 2023 season.
It was claimed she complained of the ‘niggling pain’ to Graziano, but he was ‘pretty adamant they needed to crack on’.
Graziano responded, telling the Mirror: ‘BBC physios were present all week, monitoring the situation and were aware of the pain. I received no guidance on the severity of any injuries, and from what I understood, Zara wanted to continue dancing.’
There is no suggestion that the break was caused by the pro dancer but Zara did not ‘want to make a fuss’.
BBC’s production team were said to be unaware of any injuries as she ‘limped’ through routines.
The reality star was later reportedly diagnosed with a hairline stress fracture in her tibia alongside ligament damage.
Director general of the BBC Tim Davies has apologised to contestants on the show who have had an experience that ‘hasn’t been wholly positive’.
He told journalists that there will inevitably be ‘competitiveness, hard work and the will to do well’ on the show, ‘but there are limits and the line should never be crossed’.
When questioned if this new season would go ahead, he insisted that safeguarding would be a priority before any confirmations.
The BBC boss added: ‘We will never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.’
Concern around the treatment of contestants on Strictly was raised after Amanda Abbington’s early withdrawal from the competition last year.
She accused professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, 33, of ‘abusive’ behaviour after they were partnered together.
The Sherlock star alleged she found the professional dancer’s approach ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’ and said she complained over concerns he ‘could to that to other people’.
Zara issued a statement on her experience, sharing her love of the show ever since she was a child but expressing concern at the behind-the-scenes atmosphere.
She wrote: ‘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.
The culture within our society makes it difficult for people 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.
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‘I would like to thank the BBC & BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as well as everyone who has reached out to me it really truly means a lot.’
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