Intimate questions to the former priest Ravagnani, controversy over Diaco

Are you attracted to men or women?". "Have you experienced sexuality with a person?". These are the pressing questions that Pierluigi Diaco asked Alberto Ravagnani, former priest and competitor of Dancing with the Stars, during the last episode of BellaMa' on Rai 2. An interview that sparked a wave of indignation on social media and provoked very harsh stances even within Rai, splitting the board of directors itself.

The video of the exchange immediately went viral. Ravagnani planned to intervene to talk about his adventure in the Rai 1 program, his latest autobiographical book and the path that led him to abandon the cassock. The interview, however, immediately slipped into the more intimate sphere. "Are you attracted to men or women?", urged Diaco.

Visibly uncomfortable, the guest attempted to stem the provocation: "I'm attracted to women, but it's a baseless question." The host then doubled the dose: "You're telling me that you didn't experience sexuality during your priesthood, but now that you're no longer a priest you're experimenting with it. I don't know if you've already tried it with someone. Yes or no?". "You are putting me in difficulty, taking me onto slippery ground for anyone", replied Ravagnani, without Diaco taking any step back.

"You have chosen to expose yourself publicly, therefore you have the duty to clarify our ideas – insisted the host -. Don't you think that, after the profound things you shared in your book, you deserve direct questions, bordering on rudeness?". Diaco continued to maintain that the former priest was trying to preserve an aura of mystery for image reasons, going so far as to warn him with phrases such as "Don't make fun of us" or "You have a duty to answer".

The episode raised a fuss online, where users and well-known faces rejected the tenor of the comparison outright. The Dancing with the Stars staff also expressed strong disappointment, considering the blocking of their competitors' participation in the broadcast. "What happened is unacceptable - commented the presenter Milly Carlucci in a story on Instagram -. Dancing with the Stars has always offered food for thought to understand and include a complex society. We will continue our human and artistic journey with the utmost respect for the person."

No reaction from Diaco, who made no reference to the topic in the episode of BellaMa', nor from Rai which evidently preferred not to intervene in the matter which pits two of its programs against one another. What happened, however, split the board of directors. The opposition councilors Alessandro di Majo and Roberto Natale, together with the employee representative Davide Di Pietro, spoke of "modalities that risk taking on the contours of aggression through an inquisitorial tone".

Majority councilor Federica Frangi has an opposite opinion: "I find the controversy against Diaco disproportionate: a journalist has the full right to ask direct and provocative questions". Solidarity with Ravagnani also came from the Cdr of Daytime, from the Equal Opportunities Committee of Rai and Usigrai, while the delegation of the 5 Star Movement in the Supervisory Commission attacked Diaco, speaking of "a full-blown verbal aggression signed by one of the faces of TeleMeloni".