The much-discussed “cure” of Strictly Come Dancing has resulted in numerous well-known relationships and the establishment of numerous long-lasting ones.
The Strictly Come Dancing ‘curse’ is a huge topic amongst fans and stars every year the series returns to our screens. With the number of shock splits and relationships formed from the show, it’s no surprise that the ‘curse’ is something noticed by fans and people taking part in the show.
The steamy show provides the ideal setting for a romance to ignite, as the previous series will demonstrate. The bond between couples can go far beyond ballroom dancing. While other stars have decided to end their long-term relationships after growing increasingly attracted to the glittering world of competitive dance.
Even Claudia Winkleman touched upon the ‘ curse’, revealing: “I understand, it’s very intense. Although I don’t believe in the curse, I believe that many people have been single and have met or fallen in love.
She told Radio Times, “It’s intoxicating, Strictly, because you’re all part of this extraordinary juggernaut.” So I don’t think people fall in love with people, they might just love the experience”.
Ahead of the new series, The Mirror take a look at all the car crash ‘curses’ that unfolded…
Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole
Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole first met in 2004 when they were working together. He split from his fiancée, Camilla Dallerup, while taking part in the show, and many thought it was because of his dance partner.
He claimed Camilla was the one who put an end to the feud between her and antiques expert David Dickinson. He and Natasha both admitted to being friends, but neither of them claimed to know anything about it.
Speaking at the time, Natasha said: “There was chemistry, of course, and I certainly fell in love with dancing, but I did not fall in love with Brendan”.
Natasha previously revealed she never wanted to take part in the show. “I’d just started at BBC Breakfast and obviously the bosses at Strictly had a shopping list and a newsreader was on it and I was their easiest target,” she previously told The Mirror.
“I honestly tried every single excuse not to do it, but I was cajoled and in the end I ran out of excuses. I had no control over it.
Camilla also claimed that he “ave appeared to have forgotten he was engaged” in 2015. Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “To this day I have no idea whether it was her fame and celebrity that swept him away or if he really did feel a strong connection with her.
“I’d guess it was a little bit of both,” I suppose. The only thing that really hurtful was Brendan’s appearance was that the entire country seemed to have forgotten he was engaged.
Matt Di Angelo, Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone
The first real ‘ scandal ‘ started all the way back in 2007 with EastEnders ‘ Matt Di Angelo and his professional dance partner, Flavia Cacace.
Early in the series, Flavia and her long-term partner Vincent Simone split, and they soon grew closer to each other as the Glitterball grew in size.
Matt criticized Vincent’s claim that he was the cause of the split, saying that he didn’t let himself enjoy Flavia until he knew she was single.
Speaking to the Mirror at the time, Matt said:” I’ve never felt like this before. I grin a stupid schoolboy grin when we are together and say, “I think you’re amazing.” I’m very happy to be with her.
“I adore her tiny pixie ears, her chic short hair, and her adoring smile,” she says. And that six-pack, too. She’s stupidly attractive. It is universally recognized in Britain. In her dancing attire, she looks drop-dead gorgeous. But to me, she’s just as amazing when her face is scrubbed clean of makeup and she’s wearing baggy tracksuit bottoms”.
Matt and Flavia kept in touch after the show because she was 20 at the time, eight years younger than them. He claimed that they communicate with one another “occasionally six times per day” and that he “feels like he lost a limb” when he doesn’t see her.
However, he was forced to hit back at Vincent’s claim that he stole his girlfriend. Vincent, the world tango champion, expressed his anger over Matt’s flirting with Flavia on-screen and late-night calls to her in Guildford, Surrey, in a video he shared with him.
Matt insisted he believed they split up after 11 years together, as Vincent’s Facebook status was ‘single’ in week two.
“Flavia is very private about her personal life so we’ve never talked about what happened between her and Vincent but she said they’d split”, Matt said. The actor was described as “ugly” and “wake dancer.”
He said, “I need everyone to know that I didn’t steal his girlfriend.” Flavia and Matt ended up dating for three years before splitting in 2010.
Giovanni Pernice and Georgia May Foote
Coronation Street star Georgia was loved-up with fellow soap star Sean Ward when she signed up to the dance contest back in 2015.
She made it to the end with Giovanni Pernice and Sean, who was their constant companion. However, shocking images of Georgia and Giovanni kissing as they appeared in public about their feelings for one another shortly after the contest was over.
The actress even said she would feel jealous when Giovanni would be partnered up with a new star for the next series. The couple broke up shortly before Strictly 2016’s debut, blaming their hectic schedules, and their relationship didn’t last a year.
She stated, “We have decided to split up with a great sadness. There is nobody else involved. Even though it wasn’t an easy choice, you sometimes come to the realization that friendship is important, and this is one of those times.
We will focus on our upcoming work projects because we both have incredibly busy work schedules for the rest of the year, and we both wish each other the best of luck in the long run.
Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Former professional Kristina first drew on another hunky sports star when producers duo her with boxer Joe Calzaghe before pairing up with rugby star Ben Cohen.
Joe split with his girlfriend of many years, Jo-Emma Larvin, in 2009 and went public with his relationship with Kristina shortly after.
After four more years of dating, the couple finally called it quits, accusing Kristina viciously of claiming Joe “found it difficult when I danced with other men.”
Natalie Lowe and Ricky Whittle
Natalie Lowe and Ricky Whittle were hit with romance rumours when he took part in the show in 2009.
He was even spotted with Natalie taking her parents out for a meal in Liverpool, where he filmed Hollyoaks. An onlooker said at the time: “They looked very cosy and it certainly seemed as though Natalie’s mum and dad took to Ricky.”
It was revealed shortly before the dinner that he had split from Carley Stenson, his two-year girlfriend.
Johannes Radebe and John Whaite
Johannes Radebe was teamed up with baker John Whaite in 2021 in the program’s first ever same-sex pairing. It proved to be an electric connection as the former Great British Bake Off star admitted to falling for the dancer.
Speaking to The Times in 2023, John candidly explained how he had “fallen for” Johannes during their time on the dancefloor… while he was engaged to his off-screen partner Paul Atkins. “I fell in love with him”, he told the publication about Johannes, “I can’t speak for him – because I’m not allowed to, legally – but it felt like there was love there.”
Due to the strength of his feelings for the dancer, John had no other option but to tell Paul the truth, allowing the Strictly curse to strike again. “All the way through, me and Paul discussed it. Paul of all people deserved to understand how I was feeling.
“You go through life being told that you’ll fall in love with someone, you’ll get married, you’ll have children and that’s it. However, one person’s love cannot be expressed in isolation. Two, three, or four hearts can be easily divided into. And those loves aren’t mutually exclusive”, John continued.
Once his time on Strictly drew to a close, with him earning the second place as EastEnders’ Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice were given the famous Glitterball, John “spent some time apart” from his beau as Paul moved back in with his parents.
John made sure to keep away from Johannes as he and Paul gave their relationship another go before getting married in 2024. “I have to be mindful that there’s more than my own desires to consider here”, John said.
Johannes addressed their relationship in 2023, highlighting the “platonic nature of their connection,” assuring that John and him would always be “friends for life.”
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Source: Mirror
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