Fans shocked as Zara McDermott returns to Strictly despite ‘distressing incidents’

Zara McDermott returned to Strictly Come Dancing contempt heartbreaking claims of ‘distressing incidents’ connected the amusement erstwhile she competed.

The former Love Island star, 27, claims she was ‘kicked and hit’ by her pro partner Graziano Di Prima during her clip competing on the long-running BBC bid past year.

But the world TV property returned to Elstree Film and Television Studios to enactment longtime person Pete Wicks alongside her spouse Sam Thompson.

Zara and the I’m A Celebrity winner went each retired to enactment the Towie star, attending the amusement dressed head-to-toe successful pictures of Pete.

They each wore a brace of jeans decorated with Pete’s smouldering Strictly headshot, arsenic good arsenic T-shirts urging fans to ballot for the star.

Sam’s work ‘Pete Wicks champion friend’, portion Zara’s simply said ‘vote Pete Wicks’.

Zara shared a drawback of the mates beaming successful the jazzy outfits connected her Instagram page, saying they ‘wanted to bash thing fun’ for their friend.

‘We wanted to bash thing amusive for Pete considering helium was determination successful the assemblage for maine this clip past twelvemonth with my look each implicit his shirt,’ she wrote.

She went connected to praise Pete’s show with nonrecreational dancer Jowita Przystał, adding: ‘Such an unthinkable evening. What an astonishing archetypal show and I’m truthful gladsome I could beryllium determination to enactment you!! Didn’t helium smash this?!?!?!’

Fans shared their daze implicit seeing Zara successful the audience, with karen_knight1 penning connected X: ‘If Zara had specified a atrocious clip connected Strictly, however travel she was successful the audience? I cognize she was determination to enactment Pete but Sam was there.’

Many fans thought the amusement avoided showing Zara connected screen, with Speaknowluver saying: ‘the BBC one going to truthful overmuch effort not to amusement Zara one can’t adjacent ideate however hard it was for her to travel backmost to enactment Pete.’

Others, however, praised Zara and Sam for supporting their friend, with Sammytwd_ writing: ‘Sam and Zara keeping the aforesaid vigor and supportiveness that Sam and Pete had for her past twelvemonth conscionable further confirms my mentation that this is the purest 3 mode friendship/relationship ever.’

It comes aft Zara released a connection that addressed ‘distressing incidents’ that occurred successful her Strictly rehearsals aft 30-year-old dancer Graziano announced he’d near the series.

‘Reports person been made astir my attraction connected the amusement and determination were witnesses to immoderate events, arsenic good arsenic videos of peculiar incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch. I person wrestled with the fearfulness of opening up – I was frightened astir nationalist backlash, I was frightened astir my future, I was frightened of unfortunate shaming,’ she said successful the lengthy statement.

‘But aft a batch of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the spot to look these fears, and erstwhile I was asked to talk to the BBC, I spoke candidly astir my clip connected the show. The civilization wrong our nine makes it hard for radical to talk up particularly successful a a satellite wherever societal media opinions and voices are truthful loud.

‘This is thing I’ve seen done moving with countless women connected my documentaries. I would similar to convey the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift enactment and incredibly precocious level of support, arsenic wel arsenic everyone who has reached retired to maine – it truly genuinely means a lot. Love, always. Zara.’

In his connection erstwhile leaving the show, Graziano said helium ‘deeply regrets the events’ that led to his departure.

‘My aggravated passionateness and determination to triumph mightiness person affected my grooming regime. Respecting the BBC HR process, I recognize it’s champion for the amusement that I measurement away,’ helium said.

‘While determination are aspects of this communicative involving outer influences that I can’t sermon astatine this time, I stay committed to being beardown for my household and friends.

‘I privation the Strictly household and the BBC thing but occurrence successful the future. I besides privation to convey everyone who has supported my career, some professionally and personally. When the clip is right, I volition stock my story.’

Strictly Come Dancing continues adjacent Saturday astatine 6:15pm connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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