Zara McDermott had a unique nickname for her Strictly Come Dancing partner Graziano Di Prima, hinting at some backstage tension. The emergence of the nickname comes as worried BBC producers spoke to Zara after witnessing Di Prima being verbally abusive in rehearsals.
The 30-year-old previously explained: "What do we call you? Sweet and Sour. Yes Sweet and Sour. He is very, very very sweet and then sometimes.....to be fair when you have told me something 52,000 times and I still get it wrong, you look at me like...and I still get it wrong,".
In the same interview, Di Prima revealed that Zara's constant water drinking during rehearsals and before their live performances on Saturday nights was a source of irritation for him. When asked about her pre-show rituals, Di Prima said: "I know what yours is. You keep drinking water. She has got an obsession with water and lip balm. Every-time she is stressed she put the lip balm on. She is like 'I need to go to the loo' and I am like 'We need to dance in three seconds.'".
But Zara told she them she was fine and the matter was considered resolved, insiders said. A source said: "The revelation of this nickname comes amidst concerns from BBC producers who reportedly spoke to Zara after observing Di Prima's verbal aggression during rehearsals. However, Zara assured them that everything was fine and the issue was deemed resolved, according to insiders. A source commented: "In hindsight, Zara was clearly too scared to speak up and it's heartbreaking that the full extent of what was happening wasn't apparent, reports the Mirror.
"A senior producer was brought in to address Di Prima after a member of the production team observed his behaviour during rehearsals. It is believed that the issue revolved around inappropriate language, and the dancer was encouraged to be more "considerate with his training critique".
Insiders reported that the situation was "resolved at the time to everyone's satisfaction" and Zara was "asked if she was OK by a senior producer at the time."
A source added: "He used some choice language - he was tough in training and producers spoke to him about the way he was speaking to people. He understood he was being given a warning, and that his conduct had to change."
Zara has recently spoken out about what she describes as harrowing experiences behind the scenes on the show. She said some footage of her during training sessions for the BBC programme last year was "incredibly distressing to watch".
Di Prima was axed from the show over claims of gross misconduct. He said his will to win may have affected his training style. This followed the dropping of another pro dancer Giovanni Pernice from Strictly amid separate allegations about his conduct, which he denies.
BBC bosses have now implemented changes at the show as they strive to save it. Producers have introduced a chaperone into every session to monitor all the celebrities' interactions with the professional dancers.
The BBC has ramped up its support for stars and professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing by introducing two new welfare roles, ensuring there's always someone available for both celebs and the pros. Zara, who is also known for her impactful BBC documentaries, opened up to her two million Instagram followers this week, saying: "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 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."
"So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamed 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."
