Inside the 'ultra tough' Italian dance school attended by under-fire pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima: Strictly stars faced 12 hours of training and were even hospitalised after being told 'skinny was good'

Inside the 'ultra tough' Italian dance school attended by under-fire pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima: Strictly stars faced 12 hours of training and were even hospitalised after being told 'skinny was good' Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By Laura Fox For Mailonline Published: 06:15 EDT, 16 July 2024 | Updated: 06:42 EDT, 16 July 2024 e-mail View comments For years, Strictly Come Dancing has been known as the sparkly jewel in the BBC 's crown, where some of the world's best dancers offer their expertise to celebrities in a bid to win the coveted Glitterball trophy. But that crown has noticeably slipped in recent weeks, with the news that Graziano Di Prima was sacked by bosses over reports he verbally and physically abused celebrity partner Zara McDermott , just weeks after it emerged Giovanni Pernice was being investigated following a complaint by Amanda Abbington .

While the dance world has long been known for its fiercely competitive nature, Giovanni and Graziano's drive to win may have stemmed from their early training, having attended the biggest dance academies in Europe. Both performers, who hail from Sicily, attended the prestigious Team Diablo, which thanks to its ruthless 'take no prisoners' approach to training, has been the origin for some of the biggest Latin dance champions in the world. However, stars who attended the school have also stated that they endured gruelling conditions at the school, including 12-hour days in training and dan.