Strictly’s Zara McDermott reveals the reason behind her agonising feet injury as she blames partner Graziano Di Prima: ‘My feet were bleeding’

Zara McDermott has revealed the reason behind her agonising injury that left her feet ‘bleeding’ after blaming it on her Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima. 

The former Love Islander, 26, who made her ballroom debut last week, is gearing up to dance the Cha Cha Cha for her first live performance at the weekend.

But Zara said it was a tough ride during rehearsals when Graziano, 29, made her wear ‘men’s shoes’ which left her feet sore and cut.

Speaking to The Sun at the Who Cares Wins awards on Tuesday, Zara said: ‘Graziano told me not to go for the heels but to dance in men’s shoes at the start. 

‘I told him, ‘It’s not working, I need to take them off’ and he said, ‘No, no you’re fine’. 

Struggles: Zara said it was a tough ride during rehearsals when Graziano made her wear ‘men’s shoes’ which left her feet sore and cut and now results to wearing socks in her heels

‘I said honestly it’s hurting and I took them off and my feet were bleeding. I was like, ‘I told you I am not being dramatic!’

Zara also discussed her pre-show nerves ahead of her first dance performance in the competition on Saturday.

She admitted that she felt as if the dance routine had just clicked as she was ‘finally’ getting it. 

Fans were quick to hail Zara and her professional partner Graziano ‘the hottest paring ever’ as the couple’s were revealed for the first time.

Viewers joked the Love Island star’s boyfriend Sam Thompson ‘must be sweating’ at home as they heaped praise on the ‘absolute fire’ partnership.

Zara made history by becoming the first former Love Island contestant to win a place on Strictly – but insisted she won’t be drawing inspiration from any of her former cast mates when the show gets underway.

The TV personality found fame after featuring on the ITV2 dating show in 2018, during which her romance with villa lothario Adam Collard became one of its more dominant narrative lines.

She’s since reestablished herself as a BBC documentarian, with hard-hitting expose’s on revenge porn, rape culture and eating disorders winning her a new army of fans – and a nomination for Authored Documentary at the National Television Awards.

Not long! The former Love Islander, who made her ballroom debut last week, is gearing up to dance the Cha Cha Cha for her first live performance at the weekend

Excited: Zara also discussed her pre-show nerves ahead of her first dance performance in the competition on Saturday