Strictly's Graziano Di Prima breaks silence for first time in months after being axed from BBC series

Graziano Di Prima has issued a defiant message months after he dropped out of Strictly Come Dancing following a scandal over kicking his celebrity partner on the show

Graziano Di Prima has released a confident message about his return to dance - months after he dropped out of Strictly Come Dancing under a thundercloud of shame.

The 30-year-old dance professional enjoyed a glittering career on the BBC's long-running dance competition - featuring on the line-up from 2018. But earlier this year, the sparkle was washed off to uncover an abusive underside - as Graziano was forced to admit he had kicked his 2023 celebrity partner Zara McDermott while they were working together on Strictly in 2023 and he then dropped out of the show in shame.

Now, four months after his shameful exit, Graziano has teased that time of his return to the spotlight is near - and he is raring to get back on the stage. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the star shared a moody video of himself walking around a brightly lit bridge at night time. Strutting along the wooden boards, he was joined by his wife, Giada Lini - who herself is a professional dancer and a star of the Italian version of Dancing With The Stars.

In a defiant message alongside the footage, Graziano wrote: "Dance has always been the center of my life, my greatest passion, the path I chose and dedicated years of study, sacrifice, and love to. After a period of reflection, I feel stronger than ever and eager to return to what I love most: dancing."

He continued: "The future is a whole world of new open windows, ready to welcome new dreams and new challenges, and I’m excited to continue this journey with even more determination and inspiration." He then turned to his fans who have stood by him throughout his scandal, writing: "A heartfelt thank you to everyone who is always there for me. I’m thrilled to dance again with the same enthusiasm and dedication as always. See you soon, whether on stage or through new projects that I will be very excited to share with you."

His message was met with a wall of support from those who have been eager to see what he does next. One wrote in response to his video and message: "This is the moment I and all the people who love you have been waiting for! Welcome back my dearest wonderful friend. I am so immensely proud of you! You lead by example with your strength, determination, resilience, not to mention your talent. Go Graz and keep dancing for us forever! Love you."

Graziano brought shame on Strictly when it was revealed he had kicked former Love Island contestant Zara while they worked together on the 2023 season of the show. PR agent Mark Borkowski told the BBC in July: "There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right. And he knows that. He knows he's made a mistake. He apologised at the time."

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