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Zara McDermott performed on Strictly Come Dancing while suffering with a broken leg, it has been reported.
BBC bosses were said to be unaware the former Made In Chelsea star, 27, had a hairline stress fracture in her leg while performing her Halloween dance with partner Graziano Di Prima.
This comes as it was recently claimed pro dancer Di Prima, 30, ‘kicked and hit’ Zara during rehearsals during the 2023 season of the show. He has since left the BBC series.
While the former Love Island contestant said this was not confined to ‘a singular incident’, a representative for the professional dancer stated: ‘This week the news agenda has focused on an isolated incident that Mr Di Prima deeply regrets and apologised for at the time.
‘The deluge of commentary, too often without context or nuance, has provoked a pile-on that has left a young man in a very vulnerable state.’
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Now, sources have told The Sun that Zara danced with a fractured leg for the week leading up to the Halloween performance, and while she complained of the ‘niggling pain’ to Di Prima, it is claimed he was ‘pretty adamant they needed to crack on’.
There is no suggestion that Zara’s reported broken leg was caused by Di Prima.
Zara, who reportedly ‘didn’t want to make a fuss’, was said to have ‘pushed through the pain’ and didn’t alert the BBC to the injury until just a few weeks ago.
The source claimed: ‘Zara had started getting injured in the build-up to the Halloween dance then something went on the morning, meaning she danced with a fractured leg all that week.
‘It was a literal horror show in every sense of the word.’
They continued: ‘She started developing a really bad, niggly pain in her left leg at training. The pain got worse and by the last few weeks, she was in agony, popping painkillers before, during and after sessions.
‘She made Graziano aware of her discomfort but he was pretty adamant they needed to crack on.
‘Obviously they both wanted to get the highest scores possible, and unfortunately she pushed through the pain.’
The source added that she wasn’t seen by medics on site, and the production team at the BBC weren’t aware of ‘the extent’ of her injury.
By her last dance, the reality TV star was said to be in ‘a lot of pain’ and ‘limping’ through the routine, and she now reportedly can’t watch the footage back because of the ‘agonising’ memories it stirs up.
After the show, when the pain worsened, Zara was reportedly diagnosed with a hairline stress fracture in her tibia alongside ligament damage.
In recent weeks professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, 33, has faced allegations of ‘abusive’ behaviour from actress and former Strictly partner Amanda Abbington, 50, after they were partnered together on last year’s series before her early withdrawal from the competition.
In response, a representative for the dancer said that he ‘refutes these allegations and denies any accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour’.
Earlier this week, director general of the BBC Tim Davies apologised to contestants on the show who have had an experience that ‘hasn’t been wholly positive’.
Tim Davie 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’.
Asked if he is confident the show will go ahead this series, he said: ‘I need to be assured we have the right safeguarding and duty of care in place, and that is the first question I ask.
He added: ‘We will never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind.’
‘I am assured by the robust actions we have taken in terms of the changes we have made … that we are in a position to deliver a very good season this year and that has been my focus.’
He continued: ‘With that assurance, I’m looking forward to the next season.’
Addressing how he felt when the allegations first emerged about the show, he said he was ‘disappointed’.
He added: ‘I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive, I think that is something we do reflect on, and I’m sorry about that.’
The BBC also announced major changes to support celebrity welfare on the show following the accusations, including placing a production team member in the rehearsal room at all times.
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It was also added that they will be welcoming two new welfare workers to the show, a Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer. Additionally, it was added that ‘further training’ will be given to the production team and crew.
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