Zara and Graziano quickstep to Anyone For You

Strictly Come Dancing star Zara McDermott has grown so fond of pro partner Graziano di Prima’s family that he says she spends more time on the phone to his wife than he does, leading on one occasion to an apology.

Speaking of how they’ve bonded outside of training, Graziano clarified to OK! magazine: “She’s part of my family. I think she sends more messages to my wife than me.”

Zara took up the story, chuckling: “The other day, Graziano texted, ‘Where are you?’ and I was like, ‘I’m on the phone to [your wife] Giada – soz!’”

The 26-year-old ex-Love Island fave continued: “We are part of each other’s families and each other’s lives, and I think we will be for the foreseeable.

“You build such a close bond and partnership, you get to know each other so quickly that it’s like a really unbreakable bond.”

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And although she’s made headlines for playfully ribbing Italian-born Graziano over his nation’s food, she even plucked up the courage to master a traditional dish when she invited him and his wife over for dinner – a bolognese.

Finding time to cook for a foursome – herself, Graziano, Giada and her own boyfriend, Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson – is a challenge.

Zara has confessed she trains up to 12 hours a day to master dance moves – and when she’s not practising, she’s watching videos of her past performances and analysing how to improve.

Graziano is a tough taskmaster, revealing that he even asks her to dance solo for him so he can “analyse the details”.

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Meanwhile, Zara revealed that she’s always felt “lanky” and “uncoordinated, even in her early school days, explaining: “I never felt confident in my own skin when doing any kind of movement.”

Now, of course, she’s having her moment on the dancefloor, shimmying glamorously while being watched by millions across the nation every week.

Referring to her dedication during training, which has caused her a fair share of blisters, she shrugged: “Strictly is all-encompassing, and it has to be if you want to do well in the competition.”

This week, Zara jetted off to Ibiza right after appearing on the weekend’s Strictly shows and then flew quickly back yesterday morning to make it to the rehearsal studio in time.

Letting fans into her busy lifestyle, she shared an image of herself applying a face mask on the plane after her blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trip to the Spanish party isle.

Zara has been filming scenes for Inside Ibiza – a documentary she’s fronting which takes a close-up look at life on the island and is set to air on BBC Three next year.

“Surviving on only a few hours sleep. Straight back into the training room from that airport. Please bring coffee,” she implored, tagging Graziano.

Anyone wanting to see how Zara’s gruelling work schedule has paid off can check out her next Strictly performance this weekend, screened on Saturday at 6:35pm on BBC One.

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