Strictly Come Dancing pro Graziano Di Prima has become a firm favourite with fans since he joined the show.
The Italian dancer has been delighting viewers with his performances with actress Kym Marsh this series, not to mention that he’s become quite a heartthrob in the eyes of viewers.
But while we see plenty of Graziano on our screens each week, and we love his infectious smile, what do we know about his personal life? Is he married? Who is cheering him on from home when he’s doing his thing on the dancefloor?
Let’s take a deeper dive into the 28-year-old dance champ’s life and how he came to be a permanent fixture on the glitzy BBC series…
Who is Graziano Di Prima?
Graziano is a dancer and choreographer born in Sicily.
In 2018, it was announced by the BBC announced that Graziano would be joining the Strictly cast as a professional dancer, marking a major milestone in his career.
For Graziano’s first series, he was paired with radio DJ Vick Hope but, sadly, the couple didn’t make it very far, as they placed 12th.
Graziano was demoted for the next two series and was without a celebrity partner, before being paired with Loose Woman Judi Love for series 19.
Despite finishing 10th and never topping the leaderboard, the couple made it a series to remember – who can forget their samba (and Judi’s twerking) to Sean Paul?
As for 2022, the pro is slowly creeping up the leaderboard with former Coronation Street star Kym Marsh, competing alongside the likes of Tony Adams, Will Mellor, Ellie Simmonds, and Tyler West, hoping to make it to the final.
Oh, and if you’d like an extra nugget of info on Graziano, he is the current Guinness World Record holder for the most Botafogo steps, after performing 90 steps in 30 seconds in a challenge held in December 2019 on Strictly: It Takes Two.
Is Graziano from Strictly married?
Yes, Graziano is all loved up with his wife, Giada Lini, who is also a dancer and whom he married in summer this year after eight years of dating.
They held their wedding in Graziano’s hometown, with a traditional Catholic ceremony in his local church with 200 guests.
Of course, there were some fellow Strictly stars in attendance, with Nadiya Bychkova, Karim Zeroual, and Chizzy Akudolu on the guest list.
Sadly, Johannes Radebe, Graziano’s best friend, who actually helped with his proposal, was unable to make it due to a visa issue, with the South African pro in tears over not being there as his best man.
Recent celeb partner Judi also had to drop out due to Covid-19.
Following the ceremony, the bride and groom moved their celebrations to a castle (very fancy), which is actually where they had some of their earlier dates!
Graziano and Giada initially planned to marry in 2020, but had to put their plans on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine about their magical day, the dancer gushed: ‘I tried to be strong all day but I couldn’t stop crying because of the love I feel for Giada. When I saw her arrive in the horse and carriage I started to cry. When she walked down the aisle towards me, I cried more.’
‘I must have told her how beautiful she looked 50 or 60 times,’ he added. ‘The fact we were in Sicily, my town, after two years of postponing the wedding with all our family and our friends to witness – it was a feeling so strong.’
Is Graziano on Instagram?
Luckily for fans, Graziano is active on Instagram, so we can keep up with all his antics and home and in the training room.
With 180k followers, he frequently shares behind the scenes Strictly pics, as well as snaps from outings with friends, gym clips, and sweet selfies with his wife.
You can follow him @GrazianoDiPrima.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One.
