Strictly's Zara McDermott rehearsing 10 hours a day as dancing 'doesn't come naturally'

Strictly Come Dancing's former professional dancer Brendan Cole has opened up and brutally slammed former Love Island star Zara McDermott and said she needs a "miracle" to make it through the elimination this weekend. Last weeks competition saw Zara McDermott and her pro dancer Graziano Di Prima in the bottom two couples along with Nikita Kanda and Gorka Márquez, who all danced for survival. Zara and Graziano performed their Paso Doble to The Puss Suite from Puss In Boots, while Nikita and Gorka did their Jive to Kids In America from Clueless again in a bid to remain in the competition All of the judges opted to save Zara, however Brendan has now claimed the star isn't going to progress "much further" in the dance competition, unless a "miracle happens".

Zara McDermott and dance partner Graziano Di Prima, have been getting on like a house on fire. But their relationship now appears to have hit a bump in the road – and it's all because of a bowl of pasta. Taking to Instagram Stories, former Love Island star Zara made demands for different types of pasta.

Strictly Come Dancing is renowned for the pressure and hard work of the celebrity contestants, many of whom have little to no dancing experience when they join the battle for the glitterball trophy. And now the partner of Zara McDermott has spoken out about how it feels when you've been in the bottom two, shining a light on how difficult it can be to bounce back.

The second celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing has been confirmed following a tense dance-off. All 14 couples took to the dance floor on Saturday, 7 October, as movie week hit the studio, but it went better for some than others.This week, it was time for a new leader on the leader board as TV presenter Angela Scanlon and her partner Carlos Gu scored an impressive 35 out of 40.

Prepare for an extra sprinkle of Hollywood glamour on the dance floor this weekend, as Strictly Come Dancing's epic Movie Week is back.The 14 remaining dance couples are set to take on an eclectic range of performances inspired by La La Land's biggest films. After finding themselves in the dance-off last week, broadcaster Nikita Kanda and Gorka Márquez will hope their Jive to Kids In America from the 1995 hit Clueless will be enough to save them from a similar fate this time round.

Strictly Come Dancing fans were shocked after contestant Zara McDermott was caught out treating a foot callus. Boyfriend and reality star Sam Thompson, shared a video clip on Instagram of his partner using an electric callus remover on the bed.

Strictly Come Dancing fans have accused head judge Shirley Ballas of giving out low scores to the female contestants on the show, just a year after she was hit with a sexism row.The experienced dancer gave a lower score than her fellow judges to celebrities, Anglea Rippon, Zara McDermott, and Ellie Leach on Saturday, 30 September. As Shirley gave her feedback and then her score during the show, she was booed by members of the live audience.

Reality star Sam Thompson has slammed his girlfriend Zara McDermott as a 'terrible dancer' as she made her live Strictly Come Dancing debut.

Strictly Come Dancing star Zara McDermott has said that she is "struggling" to spend time with her boyfriend, Sam Thompson, as a result of her schedule for the programme.The former Love Island star, who is dancing with Strictly pro Graziano Di Prima, has admitted that they are training for 11 hours a day as they look to progress through the competition. She also confessed that due to Sam having a radio show in the evenings, when she finally gets home from rehearsals, she is left to practise either on her own or with their cats. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 26 year old said: "Sam does his radio show every evening, so when I come home from training, he's at work so I rehearse on my own or use one of the cats.

Zara McDermott's second Strictly Come Dancing performance will be particularly special for the ex-Love Islander, with the dance having a sweet link to her grandparents.The ex-Love Islander, 26, is competing on this year's series of the BBC One show with professional dancer Graziano Di Prima, 29, with the duo proving to be a perfect match on the dance floor. Zara performed the quickstep with Graziano on Saturday's show and her mum Karen has revealed that the quickstep has a special link to her parents - Zara's grandparents - who would dance the quickstep together when they were dating.

Zara McDermott and her partner Graziano Di Prima are “potential winners” of Strictly Come Dancing thanks to their “great rapport”, a body language expert said. The 26 year old ex-Love Island star and the 29 year old pro dancer have a lot of respect for each other and shared “tactile moments” during their debut routine on Saturday, Darren Stanton said. Earlier this week, OK! revealed how Zara was putting her all into winning Strictly - even if it meant spending time apart from boyfriend Sam Thompson.

Strictly Come Dancing stars Ellie Leach, Graziano De Prima and Vito Coppola were seen laughing and joking around as they left studios in London.The Strictly stars had been filming for the spin-off show It Takes Two on Wednesday, 27 September when Italian professional dancers Graziano, 29, and Vito, 31, could be seen sharing a laugh. At one point Graziano got down on one knee and held out a bunch of flowers to Vito in a heartwarming moment.

Strictly Come Dancing fan super sleuths believe they have already worked out who will be leaving this year's series of the show after just one first live show - and it's not who you might expect. As the 15 core contestants took to the dancefloor for their first dances, detective fans are convinced they've 'worked out' who will be voted off first.The show on Saturday got off to a flying start with incredible debut performances all around including Nigel Harman's powerful Paso Doble which rightfully topped the leaderboard. Proving how highly talented this year's group is, the leaderboard then proceeded to have four celebrities in joint second place with Bobby Brazier, Layton Williams, Ellie Leach and Amanda Abbington all scoring a high 29 points each.

It looks like Strictly saved the best until last as Casualty's Nigel Harman topped the Strictly leaderboard with Bobby Brazier, Ellie Leach and Layton Williams close behind. Strictly Come Dancing kicked off with a bang on Saturday night, 23 September, as 15 brand new celebs prepared to battle it out on the dancefloor for the first time in the series.The show opened with a dramatic performance by the professional dancers performing at a scenic, coastal viewpoint before the scene moved to the Strictly dance floor where the rest of the professionals joined the performance.

Sam Thompson has made the effort to "really get to know" his girlfriend's Strictly Come Dancing partner. Zara McDermott, who Sam has been dating since 2019, is taking part in this year's BBC dancing competition. Ahead of the live shows, TV personality and Made in Chelsea star, Sam wanted to get to Zara's partner professional Graziano Di Prima and his wife, Giada Lini.

Graziano Di Prima, the Italian sensation on Strictly Come Dancing, has twirled his way into the hearts of viewers since joining the show. Known not only for his dazzling dance moves but also his charismatic charm, Graziano has become quite the heartthrob among fans.

This year's Strictly Come Dancing celebrities are in a WhatsApp chat together, revealed Zara McDermott's mum. Zara, who first found fame on Love Island, has put her dancing shoes on as she will be taking part in the 21st series of BBC competition.The 26-year-old, who is now a presenter and documentary maker, has been paired with Graziano Di Prima and will do the cha cha to Crush by Jennifer Paige on the first live show tonight (Saturday, September 23).

In the world of celebrity romance, few couples have faced the public eye with the resilience of Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson. From reality TV fame to a heartfelt reconciliation, this duo has shown that love can weather even the stormiest of setbacks. As Zara takes centre stage on Strictly Come Dancing, Sam stands as her biggest cheerleader.

Zara McDermott has put the blame on her Strictly Come Dancing co-star Graziano Di Prima for her nasty injury ahead of the live shows.

Sam Thompson proved the ever doting boyfriend as he met Zara McDermott's Strictly Come Dancing partner Graziano Di Prima.The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, jokingly labelled Graziano "better looking" than his best pal, ex-TOWIE star Pete Wicks with fans predicting that the latter might become 'jealous'. Sam is often posting comical Instagram videos alongside Zara, 26, and Pete - which have continued to be a hit with fans. But aside from the jokes and playful banter, Sam has never shied away from publically supporting his girlfriend on her successes, from fronting a series of BBC documentaries to her latest venture on Strictly.