Pete Wicks said last night that he'd "loved every minute" of his debut dance on Strictly - but close pal and 2023 contestant Zara McDermott has celebrated in a very unusual way.

Zara McDermott returned to Strictly Come Dancing despite heartbreaking claims of ‘distressing incidents’ on the show when she competed. The former Love Island star, 27, claims she was ‘kicked and hit’ by her pro partner Graziano Di Prima during her time competing on the long-running BBC series last year.

The former Love Island star made her return to Strictly Come Dancing since she made a complaint about a professional dancer's conduct on last year's series of the BBC dance show

Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Zara McDermott has returned to the show as a ballroom guest following the departure of her former dance partner Graziano Di Prima.

Reality star Zara McDermott put the past behind her as she returned to the Strictly Come Dancing studios to support Pete Wicks, despite opening up about her negative experience

Zara McDermott made a surprise return to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night to support her pal Pete Wicks. The former Love Island star was in the audience for the first live show alongside her boyfriend Sam Thompson,

Former Love Island star Zara McDermott has returned to Strictly Come Dancing for the first time since speaking out about her 'incredibly distressing' time on the show

The former Love Island star was spotted in the audience of the first show after she previously spoke out about 'distressing' incidents in her rehearsals with Graziano Di Prima, who was dismissed from

As well as the celebrities taking to the dancefloor, there were many others in the ballroom as the competition got underway