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Privacy NoticeStrictly Come Dancing is set to sashay back onto our telly screens very soon – but as the show gets set to celebrate it’s 20th anniversary, it’s not without scandal. Pro dancer Graziano Di Prima has been ‘axed’ from this year’s line-up by the BBC, following claims of ‘gross misconduct’ in his training with celebrity Zara McDermott. He strongly denies the claims. And earlier this year, his dance colleague Giovanni Pernice also left the show after nine years, again over allegations about his behaviour, which he has also denied. Fans have, by now, got used to watching with bated breath for the latest celebrity and pro pairing, but there’s always an extra sprinkle of drama, in the form of the notorious ‘Strictly curse’.
Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington have sadly ‘split’ after two years together
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Dune London)
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Viewers are fascinated by the dancers’ love lives, particularly when the ‘curse’ is involved. Now, as Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington sadly ‘split’ after two years together, OK! looks at the pro dancers’ affairs, breakups and relationships… Brendan Cole Taking it right back where it all began, leading lady Natasha Kaplinsky was swept across the dance floor by Brendan Cole in that very first chapter of Strictly in 2004. Despite denials from both sides, the buzz was undeniable, and sadly led to the unravelling of Brendan’s then-engagement to fellow dance pro Camilla Dallerup.
Brendan split from his wife while dancing with Natasha
(Image: BBC)
Of course, Brendan’s stance was firm; he did not two-time his then-fiancée but alluded to something simmering with Natasha. “The chemistry was there, plain for all to see. I didn’t have an affair. Camilla chose to leave. Once you do something, after that it’s not an affair,” he revealed, reports the Mirror. Flavia Cacace Next up on the dance card, Matt Di Angelo twirled onto the scene with Flavia Cacace…. Italian dancer Flavia has had three relationships due to her role on the hit BBC show. While Flavia was in a relationship with dance partner Vincent Simone, who also worked on Strictly, she was paired with EastEnders actor Matt Di Angelo on the 2007 series.
Flavia dated EastEnders’ Matt Di Angelo
(Image: BBC)
Despite mounting rumours the duo denied having an affair throughout the show, however soon after Matt gushed they couldn’t wait to be a couple. “She’s stupidly attractive. Every guy in Britain knows it,” he said. In 2010 the couple split and a few weeks later Flavia was dating her new Strictly partner Jimi Mistry. To this day the pair are happily married, shunning the public eye to live on a small farm in Devon. Kristina Rihanoff Back in 2009, former boxing champ Joe Calzaghe called it quits with his girlfriend of five years, Jo-Emma Larvin, during his time on the show. PAFTER his and dance pro Kristina Rihanoff’s elimination from the competition, they revealed their romance.
Rugby star Ben and dancer Kristina are now engaged
(Image: krihanoff/Instagram)
Kristina couldn’t hide her feelings when she told Wales Online, “Joe is the man of my dreams. I’ve found my other half and blossomed around him as a woman. I am besotted. We tell each other we love one another five times a day.” Their love story lasted four years before they parted ways. Kristina let got engaged to rugby star Ben Cohen, who she also met on the show. Pasha Kovalev Countdown’s Rachel Riley was partnered with Pasha Kovalev on Strictly in 2013, and it seems the Russian dancer swept her off her feet. The maths whizz ended her 16-month marriage to James Gilbert after she was booted from the show, and went public with Pasha the following year.
Countdown’s Rachel Riley was partnered with Pasha Kovalev on Strictly in 2013
Despite this, Rachel, who now shares two children with Pasha, has insisted their romance didn’t start on the dance floor. “That wasn’t until much later,” she spilled on the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast. Giovanni Pernice Coronation Street beauty Georgia May Foote was all loved-up with her fellow Street star Sean Ward when she stepped onto the Strictly dance floor in 2015. After the glitter settled from the show, Georgia and Sean called it quits.
Georgia and Giovanni dated for a year
(Image: PA)
Not long after, Georgia and the dashing Strictly professional Giovanni went public with their romance. But as quick as a cha-cha-cha, less than a year later, they announced their split with a heartfelt joint statement, saying: “It is with great sadness we have decided to split up. There is nobody else involved.” Kevin Clifton While Stacey Dooley sashayed her way through the 2018 series of Strictly, sparks flew with partner Kevin Clifton, snatching up the Glitterball Trophy and his heart in the process. All this while Stacey’s then-partner, fitness pro Sam Tucknott, watched from the sidelines.
Kevin and Stacey have been together since 2019
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
The pair’s split had Sam lashing out at Kevin, branding him “a slippery, slimy snake.” Stacey later hinted at complexity, saying cryptically that there are “two sides to every story”. Today, Stacey and Kevin keep the romance alive, now joined by their darling daughter Minnie. Katya Jones Photos of Seann Walsh and Katya Jones sharing a kiss back in 2018 caught the nation’s attention, splashed across the front pages. Seann and his Strictly dance partner Katya were spotted locking lips in Soho on the night of Seann’s girlfriend, Rebecca Humphries’ birthday.
Seann and Katya were caught publicly kissing
(Image: No credit)
With Katya married to fellow Strictly pro Neil Jones at the time, the scandal was unavoidable. After the incident, Rebecca ended the relationship with a public statement, revealing that Season had denied the affair and “aggressively and repeatedly called me a psycho/nuts/mental” when confronted with suspicions. While Katya and Neil’s marriage ended in 2019, they’ve both stated it wasn’t due to the kiss controversy. Karen Hauer Last year, Karen’s ex partner broke his silence on the couple’s split as he claimed Strictly Come Dancing ‘ruined’ their marriage. Karen, who is the dance show’s longest-serving professional dancer, and her husband Jordan Wyn-Jones reportedly parted ways in October 2023, after they tied the knot last year during a lavish ceremony at Chewton Glen in Hampshire.
Karen’s ex partner broke his silence on the couple’s split
Rumours of a split between Karen and her husband Jordan emerged as she was seen attending the Pride of Britain Awards without her wedding ring. A source then claimed to The Mirror that the couple had been having a “tough time” over the past few months and “decided to split”. Gleb Savchenko In April, former pro Gleb announced that he split from his girlfriend of three years, Elena Belle. The professional dancer appeared on Strictly for one year in 2015 before joining the US spin-off Dancing with the Stars.
Gleb announced that he split from his girlfriend of three years
(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking about his break-up with Elena Belle, he told Page Six: “It kind of just happened. People always say life happens and sometimes I think, “How did it even happen?” He added that the couple broke off their relationship back in February. “Elena and I broke up about a month ago,” he said, revealing that he “had an amazing time together” and that he “still very much loves” her. Ian Waite Earlier this month, it was announced that dance pro and presenter Ian Waite had apparentrly split from his husband after more then a decade together. The much-loved star – who was on the series from 2004 until 2010 before returning as an expert commentator on spin-off show It Takes Two – married Drew Merriman in 2017.
Dance pro and presenter Ian Waite is said to have split from his husband
(Image: BBC)
However, despite trying to work through their problems, Ian and Drew “sadly decided” that it was best to separate, the Mail reported. A source told the newspaper: “‘Ian and Drew split a while ago,” adding: “They are still friends despite the breakdown of their marriage.” Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington Professionals Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington met on Strictly at the end of 2021 and went to great lengths to keep their relationship secret. Now they have reportedly called it quits after two years of dating, it was announced on Thursday, 18 July. The pair have decided to part ways after they “grew apart”, despite having spent two “blissful” years together. A source told The Sun: “It’s heart-breaking. “Kai and Nadiya seemed like the most perfect couple and have been so, so blissfully in love.” Despite their split, the duo are said to remain “incredibly close” and are determined not to let their break up affect this year’s Strictly series. The source continued: “After a tough few weeks, they sat down together and decided to call it quits.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnBen CohenBrendan ColeCamillaDani HarmerGeorgia May FooteGiovanni PerniceKatya JonesKevin CliftonKristina RihanoffLouise RedknappMatt Di AngeloNatalie LoweNatasha KaplinskyNeil JonesPasha KovalevRachel RileySean WardSeann WalshStacey DooleySusanna ReidCoronation StreetEastEndersGood Morning BritainHollyoaksLoose WomenStrictly Come DancingDrama
