Our favourite ballroom dancing show is back for its 20th series and we couldn’t be more excited. But who has fallen for the Strictly curse down the years?
Sadly, two contestants have already left the show, but there are still 13 bright-eyed and bushytailed celebrities hoping to snatch that glitter ball trophy.
However, as with every year, the whispers of the ’strictly curse’ are in the air so let’s take a closer look.
What Is The Strictly Curse?
The ‘curse’ relates to the fact that, over the years, dozens of celebrities and their professional dance partners have ended up dating or having a fling due to the show.
This most likely comes from the fact that they are training together intensely for weeks (or months) together, learning intimate dances.
Some people, including Strictly Come Dancing’s own Janette Manrara have spoken out about the so-called ‘curse’, saying, ‘The curse has never been an issue for [her and her husband, Aljaž Škorjanec]. If anything, Strictly was a blessing, as it’s the reason we were able to stay together.’
Which Celebrities Have Fallen For The Curse?
Joe Sugg
In 2018, Youtuber Joe Sugg was partnered with Australian dancer, Dianne Buswell.
The pair came in second and, once the series finished, they announced they were dating.
In February 2021, the couple moved in together.
Seann Walsh
Comedian Seann Walsh appeared on the 16th series of the show, alongside professional dance partner Katya Jones.
A video of the two kissing was leaked to the press. At the time, Walsh was dating actress Rebecca Humphries and Jones was married to fellow Strictly professional Neil Jones.
The pair apologised on Strictly Come Dancing’s side show, It Takes Two, but the couple were voted out in week six.
Stacey Dooley
TV presenter and journalist Stacey Dooley was partnered with Kevin Clifton when she took part in the show in 2018.
The pair won and began dating shortly after the show finished. In 2022, they announced they are expecting a baby together.
Georgia May Foote
Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote was dating her co-star Callum Logan when she began the show in 2015.
However, after Strictly Come Dancing had completed its series, the pair broke up and Foote began dating her professional partner, Giovanni Pernice.
They dated for a few months before parting.
Rachel Riley
In 2013, Countdown’s Rachel Riley appeared on the show with her professional partner, Pasha Kovalev.
After the show, Riley annouced her divorce from her childhood sweetheart. She has frequently denied that the ‘curse’ had anything to do with the split.
Riley and Kovalev began dating and eloped in 2019. They welcomed their second child together in 2021.
Kara Tointon
EastEnders actress Kara Tointon won the show in 2010, alongside her professional partner Artem Chigvintsev.
The pair began dating after the show and were reported to be together for around three years before their split.
Ben Cohen
Former rugby player Ben Cohen appeared on the 2013 series of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with Kristina Rihanoff.
After the show, Cohen announced his divorce from his then-partner, with whom he had been married for 11 years.
Cohen and Rihanoff began dating and welcomed a daughter together in 2016.