Strictly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons during the first season. Viewers were shocked by the apparent close bond between newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky and her hunting partner, Brendan Cole.
Did they/didn’t they? Natasha and her chubby partner Cole sparked relationship rumours
Although the couple won the show, their success was marred by relationship rumours.
BBC presenter Natasha soon split from long-term partner Mike Barnard, while Brendan dumped dancer fiancee Camilla Dalerup.
Writing in her book Strictly Inspirational, Camilla said their split was like a ‘mini death’.
“You go through the arc of sadness, anger, bitterness,” he said. “My best friend and my professional dance with Brendan were both gone.”
However, Natasha has always denied any wrongdoing, saying: “There was chemistry, of course, and I definitely fell in love with dancing, but I didn’t fall in love with Brendan.”
Row 5: Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
Of all the Strictly romances there have been over the years, this remains one of the most interesting.
Clandestine: Long ago gossip raged about how Flavia and Matt, then 19, were secretly in love
Flavia Cacace was in a long-term relationship with her dance partner Vincent Simone when she teamed up with Matt DiAngelo in 2007. He was eight years her junior.
Long ago gossip was rife about how Flavia and Matt, then 19, were secretly in love. Shortly after the show ended, she called time on her romance with Vincent and went public with Matt.
Looking back on their partnership, Matt told the Daily Mail: “It was a pretty crazy time. It was front page news.
“The funny thing was that the story didn’t start out as true, but the more you read it, the more you started to believe it and act on it.”
Their romance ended in 2010 and a few weeks later Flavia admitted she was dating her last dance partner, actor Jimi Mistry, whom she married.
Row 7: Joe Calzaghe and Christina Rihanoff
Don’t be: Kristina is also said to have wanted children while Joe already has two sons from a previous relationship
Above: Unfortunately for Kara and Artem, their relationship didn’t go far
Scandal: Christina recently forced to defend her romance with Ben
Former boxer Joe Calzaghe broke up with his girlfriend of five years Jo-Emma Larvin just a week after the show in 2009.
The athlete began a relationship with Russian dancer Kristina Rihanoff soon after.
The pair enjoyed a four-year romance but parted ways after Joe reportedly asked Kristina not to accept a dancing role in a stage production.
Speaking to Hello! Kristina said: “He was sick and tired of waiting for me and said if I really loved him I wouldn’t have taken the job in the West End.”
Kristina is also said to have wanted children while Joe already has two sons from a previous relationship.
Row 8: Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev
Unfortunately for Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev, their relationship didn’t make it far.
After winning the show in 2010, the pair got hitched, love quickly blossomed and they moved into a house together in London.
However, Russian Artem’s visa issues are believed to have caused him to spend time apart from Kara for months on end and they finally decided to call it a day.
Actress Kara welcomed her son Frey with fiancé Marius Jensen in 2018, while Artem has been romantically involved with retired WWE wrestler Nikki Bella since she moved to the US to compete on Dancing With the Stars in 2014.
Row 11: Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff
Kristina Rihanoff was recently forced to defend her romance with Strictly partner Ben Cohen, insisting their relationship only started when his 11-year marriage to wife Abby ended.
“He left his wife a year ago,” he told the Daily Mirror. “We recently started dating, but we’re allowed to see each other as two singles.”
Kristina – who has also dated Vincent Simone and ex-partner Joe Calzaghe – said there have been other couples, but she’s the only one who was ‘attacked’.
He said: “Ben has said it many times and I’ll say it again – I had no part in breaking up his marriage.”
Meanwhile Abby described the separation and divorce as “the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me”.
Ben, 37, met Abby in 1995 aged 17 and the pair married in 2003 before welcoming their daughters in 2008.
Row 11: Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
‘There is no!’ Rachel put aside the fact that Katara exists after leaving her husband and meeting with Pasha
In the same series, Rachel Riley’s affair with professional partner Pasha Kovalev ended her marriage to her husband of just one year.
She married Jamie Gilbert in 2012, taking part in the 2013 season of the dance show. By the end of 2013, they had split and she was with Pasha – which she claims started after the show ended.
“In Austira, you form a close bond with your partner, but there was nothing romantic about dancing with Pasha. It was just dancing,” he told the Mail the following January, insisting there is no such thing as The Curse.
‘[Strictly] it serves as a magnifying glass showing pre-existing fault lines,” he said, explaining the situation. He is still with Pasha today.
Row 11: Susanna Reid
Epiphany: Shortly after the show ended, Susanna broke up with her longtime partner Dominic Cotton
Divorce: Actress Sunetra also announced her marriage split after starring on Strictly
Susanna Reid was another victim of series 11. She was considered breakfast TV’s most popular presenter and in a relationship of 15 years when she reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing that year.
However, shortly after the show ended, the TV presenter split from her long-term partner Dominic Cotton.
However, mother-of-three Susanna, who was paired with professional Kevin Clifton, said the program was not to blame for her love problems.
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna told the Daily Mirror: “I think people think Strictly was connected to what happened. It was not. Obviously things have been challenging in my personal life, but we’re sorting things out.’
Row 12: Sunetra Sarker
Actress Sunetra Sarker also announced her marriage split after starring in Strictly.
She split with her husband Nick Corfield after ten years of marriage shortly before the show hit the screens.
The couple first met in 1989 while on holiday in Jersey and have a 13-year-old son together.
However, she said the romance was over long before her reality show: “The truth is, three years ago me and my husband split up amicably and it obviously had nothing to do with Strictly.”
The Casualty actress, who plays Dr Zoe Hanna in the BBC medical drama, is now said to be dating business partner Scott Carey. Together, the couple created the food company Keep Me Fresh.
Row 12: Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack has split from her boyfriend of a year and a half, Jack Street, after reaching the semi-finals of Strictly Come Dancing.
The price of success: Caroline Flack split with boyfriend of a year and a half Jack Street after reaching Strictly Come Dancing semi-final
According to The Sun, she was “disturbed” backstage at the BBC show but managed to put on a brave face to impress with her Tango and top the leader board.
A source close to her told the newspaper: “It came to a natural end and it was mutual.”
Some contestants have ended their relationships to get involved in a romance with their show partner, but the source noted that in Caroline’s case, that wasn’t the reason.
“No one else is involved,” they said.
Caroline had been seeing music manager Jack for around 18 months and previously said she was fine with him working on the talent show despite his fame.
“Jack was totally fine with the whole curse,” she said, according to The Mirror. “He hasn’t worried once.”
Row 13: Helen George
Out she goes: Helen announced her split from husband of three years Oliver Boot after being revealed as a contestant (pictured with pro Aljaz Skorjanec)
It wasn’t long before Strictly’s terrible curse struck again.
Actress Helen George has announced her split from her husband of three years, fellow actor Oliver Boot, after being revealed as a contestant on the show.
“I can confirm that Ellen separated from her husband some time ago,” a spokesperson for the star said. She has not been linked to any other Strictly contestants or professional dancers.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Helen is best known for starring as Nurse Beatrix ‘Trixie’ Franklin in the hit BBC period drama Call The Midwife.
George also performed as a backup singer for Sir Elton John and starred in a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel called The Woman In White.
She met her ex-partner on the set of BBC drama Hotel Babylon and the pair married in December 2012.
Row 13: Georgia May Foote
The actress was in a relationship with her Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward when she joined the 2015 series of the show.
Split: Shortly after Georgina finished second in the final, she announced her split from Sean
But cracks began to show as Sean was reported to be furious with jealousy over her decision to take part and even reportedly accompanied her to rehearsals at the start of her Strictly journey.
Shortly after she finished second in the final, she and Sean announced their split – with Georgia seen kissing her dancer Giovanni Pernice during a romantic trip to Disneyland soon after.
However, shortly before rehearsals for the 2016 series began, Georgia and Giovanni called time on their romance after just one year.
Giovanni has since moved on with 2018 contestant and former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, while Georgia is dating rapper Kris Evans.
Row 14: Louise and Jamie Redknapp
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