Strictly’s Zara McDermott sends message to fans as she looks to the future after Graziano Di Prima sacking
ZARA McDermott has spoken about her dreams for the future in the wake of the Strictly scandal involving Graziano Di Prima.
The TV personality hopes to focus on documentary making and put the past behind her after opening up about allegations of abuse in the BBC dance studios.
Zara shared that she is working on a new top secret documentary series, and thanked her fans for their recent support.
She posted an image of herself grinning while learning how to operate a handheld camera.
The former Love Island star told her followers: “Doing what I love… the best job in the world.
“The art of storytelling through documentaries… and I’m learning more and more every single day (including how to properly use a camera and hopefully direct one day).
“I cannot believe I’ve been doing this job for almost five years now.
“We are currently working on an incredible new series that has been in production for a good while; I would love to tell you more but it’s about an extremely sensitive subject (perhaps my most sensitive yet) and it’s impossible for me to talk about without my compromising the safety of our contributors.
“There’s an incredible team around me who are helping me navigate this subject with so much care & purpose. When I can share more, I will.”
She went on to acknowledge the difficult time she is currently going through, adding: “Thank you guys for all your recent love and support on my work xxx”
The BBC recently announced that Graziano Di Prima was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing over allegations of physical and verbal behaviour towards his celebrity dance partner Zara.
Zara confessed that she was “scared to speak up” in a lengthy statement released after Graziano was fired.
The Sun revealed how the BBC had been warned twice about Graziano’s conduct towards Zara during their training sessions last year.
It’s believed on one occasion, Graziano was spoken to by a senior producer over the “bad language” used in training.
The dancer broke his silence moments after his exit was announced and spoke of his “deep regret” over claims he had kicked, hit and spat at Zara.
In her statement, Zara said: “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.”
Zara added: “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.
“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. Love, always. Zara.”