Graziano Di Prima is working on a remote vineyard in Sicily earning just £6-an-hour after being sacked from Strictly Come Dancing, can reveal.
The professional dancer, 31, was axed from the BBC show over reports he ‘hit and kicked’ his former partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals last year.
After fleeing the UK to go back to his native home in Italy with his wife Giada, a fellow dancer who stars on the Italian version of Strictly, Graziano ‘has taken a job on a farm, ploughing fields, living with cows and picking grapes’.
The Italian pro, 30, is ‘digging ditches and clearing wood’ according to pals in a bid to ignore the ‘noise’ sparked by his shock departure from Strictly.
He is only speaking to two people – his mother Giovanna and wife Giada – and is not looking at social media or the internet as he concentrates on ‘getting his head straight’ as his inner circle admit ‘he’s in a bad place’.
A friend told that Graziano appreciates his career in the UK is over following the scandal, but there is hope he can resurrect his profession within dance as ‘that’s what his body is built for’.
The friend said: ‘Graziano has gone back to basics working on the land.
‘He’s totally alone in the field digging ditches and clearing wood, a standard practice to prevent fires, working for a minimal sum but it’s not about the money.
‘Manual labour is what he grew up doing, since he was eight-years old.
‘It’s about keeping his mind active and a distraction technique from the toxic fallout of his departure from Strictly.’
Graziano is being encouraged to ‘focus on the now’ given his career in the UK appears over after his sacking.
The friend added: ‘He’s been told to concentrate on his mental health, as he is in a bad place.
‘There’s a real push for him to eat healthily and sleep well, he really needs to knuckle down and think of himself right now
‘Who knows what the future will hold, hopefully it can still be in dance as that’s why his body is built for – it’s all he knows.
‘But for now Strictly is firmly at the back of his mind. He accept that he will never grace the Strictly dance floor again. He has lost everything.’
Graziano’s shock departure was confirmed on Saturday when Strictly bosses announced he would not be taking part in the upcoming series following his altercation with Zara, his 2023 series partner.
He’s been accused of ‘spitting and hitting’ the former Love Island star, 27, during training sessions.
The investigation into his behaviour was triggered by Strictly’s bid to clean up the show after fellow Italian Giovanni Pernice was accused of abusive behaviour by his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington, which resulted in him leaving the show. Giovanni denies the claims.
According to show insiders, video footage of Graziano mistreating Zara gave bosses no choice but to cancel his contract.
Addressing his departure on Instagram, 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.
‘Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it’s best for the show that I step away.’
He continued: ‘While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can’t discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.
‘I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.’
He concluded the post: ‘I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.’
Zara broke her silence on Tuesday, admitting she was scared to come forward and report Graziano over fears for her ‘future’.
Also writing on Instagram, she said: ‘I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.
‘When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.
‘And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with
‘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.’
Zara explained that she didn’t report the incidents at the time as she was ‘scared’ of backlash.
Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni Pernice was taking place.
A source from the show told : ‘There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.’
Zara continued in her statement: ‘I have wrested with the fear of opening up – I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,’ Zara wrote on Instagram.
‘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.
‘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 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.
‘I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me – it really truly meas a lot. Love, always. Zara.’
Graziano, who was due to compete in his seventh series of Strictly before his sacking, is taking legal action against the BBC, revealed on Monday.
The BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima is taking legal action against the broadcaster.
The Sicilian dancer believes he should have been ‘supported and helped’ with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island star Zara.
But a BBC insider told the Mail that the broadcaster will fight back, explaining: ‘Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?’
Graziano, who allegedly ‘kicked and hit’ Zara, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.
A friend of the professional dancer said yesterday: ‘There are questions over their [the BBC’s] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes.’
‘He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.’
Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘devastated’ Graziano wrote on Instagram over the weekend: ‘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.
‘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 joined the cast of professional dancers on Strictly in 2018.
He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-final with actor Kym Marsh.
Confirming his departure, the BBC spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.