Ashley Cain has revealed the emotional reason why he wants to appear on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing . The Ex on the Beach star, who faced heartbreaking loss in 2021 when his eight-month-old daughter Azaylia succumbed to a rare form of leukaemia , has now voiced his aspiration to participate on scandal-hit BBC series, with the hope to honour his late daughter. He revealed dancing holds treasured recollections for him during a recent interview, stating: "Me and my family are known for dancing.
That's what we do. When I had my daughter in hospital, when she was poorly, any time that she used to be feeling poorly or she was going through a chemotherapy, I used to hold her in my arms and I used to dance with her." Ashley went on to tell The Sun: "And I'd dance with her for hours and hours and hours and hours.
So something like Strictly would relate to me in a sense where I would love to do a Lion King-themed dance. I would love to be able to tell my story on such an amazing platform that could reach out to so many incredible people." The announcement of Ashley's aspirations coincides with times when Strictly is dealing with controversy.
Pro dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice faced the axe following allegations of misconduct. Featuring in the eye of the storm is Graziano, who was removed from the show due to 'gross misconduct' charges directed at his celebrity counterpart Zara McDermott - who he has subsequently confessed to kicking during rehearsals. Following Graziano's shock exit from Strictly Come Dancing amid allegations of "gross misconduct," Zara, aged 27, took to social media on Tuesday 16 July to address her followers with a heartfelt message.
She expressed that being part of the show was a lifelong ambition, but also shed light on her challenging experiences during rehearsals with Graziano. In her statement, she shared: "I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.
When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true." "I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.
And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with. However, my experience inside the training room was very different.
Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch." She went on to say: "I have wrestled with the fear of opening up I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC , I spoke candidly about my time on the show.
The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up, especially in a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries." Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
