Who is Graziano Di Prima? Meet the Strictly Come Dancing star
Graziano Di Prima has been dancing since he was six years old. Between 2018 and 2023, he was a professional dancer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing show. Di Prima holds the current Guinness World Record for the most Botafogo steps. In 2024, he reflected on his craft in an Instagram post that read:
Dance has always been the centre of my life, my greatest passion, and the path I chose to dedicate years of study, sacrifice, and love to.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Graziano toured with the Burn the Floor dance company alongside other professional dancers in 2021.
- On Strictly Come Dancing, he partnered with celebrities, including Kym Marsh and Judi Love.
- In 2024, the BBC announced Di Prima’s exit from the show following allegations of misconduct against him.
Graziano Di Prima’s profile summary
Full name | Graziano Di Prima |
Date of birth | 7 May 1994 |
Age | 31 years old (as of January 2026) |
Birthplace | Sicily, Italy |
Nationality | Italian |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Giada Lini |
Parents | Giovanna and Pietro Di Prima |
Profession | Dancer, choreographer |
Social media |
Graziano Di Prima is a Riesi native
Graziano was born on 7 May 1994 in Sicily, Italy. In 2025, he took to Instagram to commemorate his 31st birthday, writing:
As I turn a year older, I feel the deep need to pause, celebrate and be grateful. Today, I blow out a candle on a life that has not always been easy, but has also been intensely beautiful in its ups and downs.
Di Prima shares a close relationship with his parents, Giovanna and Pietro Di Prima. On 2 February 2022, he posted a photo alongside his mom on the platform. His caption read:
Everything I am today is because of you. I will never thank you enough, Mom, for always being by my side. I love you.
On 12 November 2023, Graziano wrote of his father, Pietro:
My dad always taught me that hard work and making sacrifices always pay off in the end. He is the person I run to for advice and help; he is my rock.
During a 2021 interview with Metro, Di Prima recounted an incident when his dad could not stop crying during one of his Strictly Come Dancing live performances.
My dad was sitting in the first row, and one of the show’s producers said, “I am sorry, but we respectfully have to move him to the back.” This was an unforgettable moment for me.
Source: Original
He lost his twin brother at birth
In an exclusive 2024 chat with Ox Magazine, Graziano shared the tragic event surrounding the passing of his only sibling, saying:
My brother and I were born at seven months, but he did not make it. The doctors initially also doubted I would survive. For the first few years of my life, until I was 7 or 8, I had to go back to the hospital every six months for checkups.
Exploring Graziano’s time on Strictly Come Dancing
Graziano joined the dance contest show in 2018 but was demoted the following year due to his height. Nonetheless, he appeared in several episodes of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two alongside Zoë Ball.
In 2021, Di Prima won the Christmas special dancing with Anne-Marie. He also participated in the 2023 Christmas special with Sally Nugent and finished in second place.
He allegedly assaulted his final celebrity partner, Zara McDermott
According to Rayo, Di Prima announced his exit from Strictly in a July 2024 post that read:
My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training. Therefore, I respect the BBC HR decision to release me from the show. Thanks to my fans who supported me personally and professionally.
Source: Instagram
Later, Graziano’s spokesperson admitted that he kicked Zara once during training, calling the incident a “mistake”. The BBC also released a statement confirming that the dancer was no longer a part of the Strictly franchise. McDermott took to Instagram Stories a few days later to share her side of the story, per the news outlet. She stated:
My experience in the training room was extremely distressing, but I remained silent because of the fear of victim shaming. Thank you to the BBC for their unwavering support, which enabled me to recount some traumatic events out loud.
In later interviews, Di Prima denied hitting and assaulting Zara, claiming he only “kicked the floor in frustration”. He announced his return to television by joining the Italian version of Big Brother in 2025. Additionally, Graziano has been organising various dance classes and workshops across the UK.
Graziano shares a close friendship with Vito Coppola
Professional dancer Vito Coppola and Di Prima met on the set of Strictly Come Dancing. Vito has shown support for Graziano in the face of his misconduct scandal. On 23 December 2024, Di Prima posted a photo alongside Vito on Instagram. His caption read:
What a wonderful thing it is to have a true friend. Vito, you are a special person with a big heart. I love you, bro.
Source: Instagram
Di Prima is married to a fellow professional dancer
Graziano met Giada Lini in 2014 when he joined the Italian show called Amici. Speaking with Ox Magazine, he shared their love story, revealing:
I danced with Giada and fell in love with her in the first year.
He proposed to her in May 2019, and they exchanged vows on 9 July 2022. On 22 December 2024, Di Prima gushed over his wife on Instagram, writing:
My love, you are my greatest pride. I look at you and think how lucky I am to have you by my side forever.
Source: Getty Images
In 2023, Graziano told the Daily Mail about their decision to start a family:
We are prioritising our careers before having kids because we both still want to dance.
Conclusion
Graziano is widely recognised for formerly competing on Strictly Come Dancing. However, in 2024, he made headlines after claims that he had “kicked” his celebrity partner, Zara McDermott. Although Di Prima later termed the allegations as false, he admitted to regretting some of his actions during training.
READ MORE: Who is Pete Wicks? All about the TOWIE star and Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist
As Briefly.co.za published, Pete Wicks launched his entertainment career when he joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex in 2015. He was cast on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in 2018.
In September 2024, Wicks competed on Strictly Come Dancing. As an author, he has published books, including For the Love of Frenchies: The Dogs that Changed My Life.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
