EntertainmentuktvuktvrealityStrictly Come Dancing

Strictly's Graziano Di Prima Recalls Why His Dad Was Asked To Move From Front Row During Live Show

The Italian dancer has shared the surprisingly emotional story of his father being asked to switch seats.
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Entertainment Editor

Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima has admitted his father was once asked by producers to move away from the front row during the recording of a live show.

Speaking to Metro, Graziano said that during his early years performing on Strictly, his dad came to London to watch him dance, only to be asked to move further back in the audience.

Why? Well, because he couldn’t stop crying tears of joy at the sight of his son on the dance floor.

Graziano explained: “It was when I joined Strictly and they were in the first row, and one of the people who works on the show said, ‘I’m so sorry, we need to move him back a bit because he cannot stop crying’.”

“I will never forget that,” Graziano added. “But in a good way.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Graziano shared his hopes of being part of Strictly’s first ever all-male competitive couple.

“My fingers are crossed,” he told the news outlet.

Referring to past years when he’s been in group dances but not been paired with a celebrity contestant, Graziano added: “If you don’t get a partner you’re going to be busy anyway but obviously if you get the opportunity to dance with a celebrity, it’s different.”

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Graziano Di Prima at the Strictly launch in 2019
SOPA Images via Getty Images

Graziano joined Strictly in 2018, and will be back with the show later this year, when it returns in the autumn..

However, it’s been announced that two of his castmates will not be joining him, with Anton Du Beke making his long-awaited move to the judging panel and Janette Manrara taking over from Zoe Ball at the helm of spin-off show It Takes Two.

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