Strictly star Zara McDermott has revealed she is struggling to spend enough time with her boyfriend due to her busy rehearsals.
The former Love Island contestant, who was paired with Italian hunk Graziano Di Prima, confessed her 11-hour sessions a day mean radio DJ partner Sam Thompson is at work when she gets home .
Ms McDermott, 26, who insists she will not fall victim to the show’s Strictly curse, even says she has to practice her steps with one of her cats, Albus or Cedric, because he isn’t around.
She said: “We spent 11 hours from 8pm to 7pm last week and really didn’t stop.”
“Sam does his radio show every night. So when I get home from training, he’s at work, so I rehearse on my own or use one of the cats.”
Difficult: Strictly’s Zara McDermott, 26, has admitted she is struggling to spend time with boyfriend Sam Thompson amid the intense rehearsal schedule
Conflicting schedules: The former Love Island contestant confessed her 11-hour sessions a day mean radio DJ partner Sam is at work when she gets home
“But he was great… we talk on the phone all the time, especially because I’m at rehearsals a lot.”
“He is always there for me when I need a conversation and he is very supportive. He is very positive.’
Ms McDermott has repeatedly questioned whether she will be affected by the Strictly curse, despite cheating on Mr Thompson with music boss Brahim Fouradi in 2019 while appearing on X Factor: Celebrity.
Meanwhile, she has admitted that she probably wouldn’t have been approached for a role in Strictly if she had only appeared on Love Island in 2018.
The reality star, who became the ITV2 dating show’s first ever contestant to be invited to take part in the BBC One dance extravaganza, says bosses only decided to include her because she went on to do serious documentaries.
Ms McDermott said: “I don’t think there was necessarily a ban or anything like that for Love Island contestants or reality contestants.”
“I just think it depends on who’s right for the show and I don’t see myself as just a ‘Love Island contestant’, I did that when I was 21 but I’m 26 now and have been for a while four years.” I work so hard to make the documentaries that I do. That has a lot to do with why I’m on the show now, and it’s because of the work I’ve done in addition to Love Island, and not just because of it.
Communication: “But he was great… we talk on the phone all the time, especially because I’m at rehearsals a lot,” Zara admitted
Leaving the past behind her: Zara has repeatedly questioned whether she will be affected by the Strictly curse
“I am in no way ashamed of my past. I think everything I did was a stepping stone towards the woman I am today and it gave me an amazing platform, so I’m not doing it.” “To be honest, I don’t think so , that there is definitely a stigma associated with it.”
Since leaving the villa, Ms McDermott has made BBC documentaries tackling topics such as rape culture, eating disorders and revenge porn.
One of her shows was Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge, which delved deeper into the disappearance of teenager Gaia Pope.
Mr Di Prima, 29, praised her for her work, saying: “I’ve seen Zara’s documentaries… I’m Italian, apart from Strictly and dancing and eating, apart from those things I don’t have time to watch TV. “Be honest with yourself.
“But I obviously knew her, and Sam and I started researching her documentaries, and I love that she worked with so many inspiring people.”
“I’m the type of guy who gets emotional every time… I cried the other day watching a video about someone extraordinary, so imagine me watching their documentaries.”
“We talked a lot about what it feels like to stand in front of people who are having difficulties in life. “I’m someone who wants to learn a lot, so I asked questions about how it works.” “I learned during our lunch breaks.”
The pair danced the quickstep to the George Ezra song ‘Anyone For You’ on Saturday night’s show after kicking off their Strictly series with ‘Cha, Cha, Cha’ on the first live broadcast last week.
Strictly professional: Zara was paired with Italian hunk Graziano Di Prima, who praised the star for her documentary work
Friends: Zara and Sam spent time with Graziano and his wife Giada Lini
Zara, who has never danced before other than in TikTok videos with her boyfriend Sam, says there’s no routine that doesn’t “intimidate” her, but she’s looking forward to learning rumba, known for its sensual hip movement and seductive storytelling.
She said: “For someone like me who has never danced before, every single dance will take me out of my comfort zone in some way.”
“I’m intimidated by everyone in different ways, to be honest with you.” I’m really looking forward to something like a rumba because I’ve learned a lot of technique in cha, cha and it’s kind of a slowed down version of that …
“It will be scary to learn something completely new and learn techniques every week, but I take my life day by day, hour by hour and try not to look too far ahead and focus on the here and now. “