Kym Marsh has opened up about her Strictly Come Dancing experience with her former pro-partner Graziano di Prima amid the show’s misconduct scandal.
The professional dancer was axed from Strictly Come Dancing last month, after he was accused of physically and verbally abusing his partner Zara McDermott during last year’s series.
Now, the actress has spoken about her time on the show with Graziano, who she was partnered with for the 2022 series.
Speaking to The Sun, Kym confessed: “I’m reluctant to talk too much about someone else’s experience.”
“I had one of the best times of my life doing that show and it was amazing.”
“I didn’t have any experiences like we’ve heard. It definitely, definitely did not represent what I had experienced, no.”
The Coronation Street star admitted she was shocked to hear about the allegations against Graziano.
She added: “I’ll always have tremendously fond memories.”
Last week, Graziano claimed Zara McDermott’s allegations against him have ruined his life.
In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Graziano insisted he’s “not a monster” and claimed the allegations against him are “false.”
“I thought we were friends. We were friends,” he said of Zara’s allegations.
“These vile, false allegations ruined my life in a matter of minutes – professionally, financially, psychologically and reputationally.
“I can be strict, I can be passionate. I want my partner to go as far as they can. Zara wanted that, too.”
Graziano was axed from Strictly after it was alleged that footage showed him kicking Zara during rehearsals.
The dancer continued: “You can’t imagine how many times my mind has been going back and forward trying to think of something that happened all those months ago that I can’t figure out.
“The only thing I can think of is the time I kicked the floor in frustration. We’d practised hour after hour to perfect a routine with lifts. It wasn’t easy but that’s the pressure of the show.
“I was in pain from lifting her so many times but wanted to get it right. I thought I could save her [from elimination].
“I wasn’t meaning to kick her. I’d never, never do that. My foot brushed her after I kicked the floor. Afterwards I hugged her and said I was sorry. There was no problem. We carried on.”
Graziano insisted he’s “not an abusive man”, and said he has had “ugly thoughts” since being dropped from the series.
Amid the scandal, its understood the 30-year-old has fled the UK with his wife Giada, and is working on a farm in his native Sicily.
Last month, Graziano apologised for his actions with his spokesperson, Mark Borkowski, telling BBC News: “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.”
The spokesperson continued: “But he doesn’t recognise some of the issues surrounding it. The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned.”
However, he insisted his behaviour was a one-off incident, which Zara’s representatives hit back at – claiming there was more than one incident.
The Love Island’s spokesperson told The BBC: “It’s a matter of public record that the BBC deemed the conduct to be so severe that they removed him from the show immediately.”
“Zara has already confirmed in a statement released on her social media earlier this week that the reported conduct was not a singular incident.”
Taking to Instagram last month, Graziano shared a statement to confirm he will no longer be a part of Strictly Come Dancing.
He confessed his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.”
The Daily Mail has reported that the Italian dancer was spoken to by bosses of the hit show, and that his contract was terminated.
The publication said a complaint was made recently and prompted the BBC to extend the inquiry that was ongoing over claims against fellow Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice.
A source told the publication: “It was during that meeting that it all unfolded. It seems that whatever Gio has done it opened a can of worms.”
Graziano joined Strictly in 2018 and was partnered with reality star Zara McDermott last year.