Series 1: Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole
Hit the headlines in the first season for all the wrong reasons. Viewers were mesmerized by the seemingly close bond between news anchor Natasha Kaplinsky and her handsome partner Brendan Cole.
Do they/don’t they? Natasha and her attractive partner Cole sparked affair rumors
Although the couple won the show, their success was marred by affair rumors.
BBC presenter Natasha soon split from her longtime partner Mike Barnard, while Brendan left his fiancé and fellow dancer Camilla Dallerup.
In her book Strictly Inspirational, Camilla wrote that their breakup was like a “mini-death.”
“You go through the arc of sadness, anger and bitterness,” she said. “My best friend and professional dancer Brendan were both gone.”
However, Natasha has always denied any wrongdoing, saying, “The chemistry was there, of course, and I definitely fell in love with dancing, but not with Brendan.”
Series 5: Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
Out of all the Strictly romances over the years, this one remains one of the most interesting.
Clandestine: It wasn’t long before Flavia and then 19-year-old Matt were secretly in love
Flavia Cacace was in a long-term relationship with dance partner Vincent Simone when she started dating Matt Di Angelo in 2007. He was eight years younger than her.
It wasn’t long before Flavia and then 19-year-old Matt were secretly in love. Shortly after the show ended, she ended her romance with Vincent and went public with Matt.
Looking back on their partnership, Matt told the Chron, “It’s been a pretty crazy time.” It was front-page news.
“The funny thing was that the story wasn’t true at first, but the more you read it, the more you started to believe in it and actually act on it.”
Their romance ended in 2010 and a few weeks later Flavia admitted she was dating her newest dance partner, actor Jimi Mistry, whom she later married.
Series 7: Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Shouldn’t be: Kristina is also said to have wanted children, while Joe already has two sons from a previous relationship
End: Unfortunately for Kara and Artem, their relationship was not a success
Scandal: Kristina recently had to defend her romance with Ben
Former boxer Joe Calzaghe split from his girlfriend of five years, Jo-Emma Larvin, in 2009 just a week after the show began.
The athlete soon began a relationship with Russian dancer Kristina Rihanoff.
The couple had a four-year romance but split after Joe reportedly asked Kristina not to take a dance role in a stage production.
In conversation with Hello! Kristina said: “He got tired of waiting for me and said if I really loved him I wouldn’t have taken the West End job.”
Kristina is also said to have wanted children, while Joe already has two sons from a previous relationship.
Series 8: Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev
Unfortunately for Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev, their relationship didn’t manage to keep their distance.
After winning the show in 2010, the two got together, love quickly blossomed and they moved into a house together in London.
However, Russian Artem is believed to have had to spend months apart from Kara due to his visa issues, and they eventually decided to call it quits.
Actress Kara welcomed baby son Frey with fiancé Marius Jensen in 2018, while Artem has been romantically involved with retired WWE wrestler Nikki Bella since moving to the US in 2014 to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
Series 11: Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff
Kristina Rihanoff recently had to defend her romance with Strictly partner Ben Cohen and insisted their relationship only began after his 11-year marriage to wife Abby came to an end.
“He left his wife a year ago,” she told the Daily Mirror. “We’ve recently started dating, but we’re allowed to see each other as two singles.”
Kristina – who also dated Vincent Simone and ex-partner Joe Calzaghe – said there were other couples but she was the only one who was “attacked”.
She said, “Ben has said it many times before and I’ll say it again — I had no part in the failure of his marriage.”
Meanwhile, Abby described the breakup and resulting divorce as “the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me.”
Ben, 37, met Abby in 1995 aged 17 and the couple married in 2003 before giving birth to their daughters in 2008.
Series 11: Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
“It doesn’t exist!” Rachel brushed aside the fact that the curse exists after she left her husband and started dating Pasha
In the same series, Rachel Riley’s relationship with her pro partner Pasha Kovalev finally ended her marriage of just one year to her husband.
In 2012, she married Jamie Gilbert and took part in the 2013 season of the dance show. By the end of 2013, they had broken up and she was dating Pasha — which she says began after the show ended.
“On Strictly, you bond with your partner, but when Pasha and I danced, there wasn’t anything romantic.” “It was just dancing,” she told the Mail the following January, stressing that there was something like “The Curse” does not exist.
‘[Strictly] “It serves as a magnifying glass that shows already existing fault lines,” she explained the situation. She is still with Pasha today.
Series 11: Susanna Reid
Revelation: Shortly after the show ended, Susanna split from her longtime partner Dominic Cotton
Divorced: Actress Sunetra also announced her marriage split after appearing on Strictly
Susanna Reid was another series 11 victim. She was considered the most popular breakfast TV host and was on a 15-year relationship when she reached the finals of Strictly Come Dancing that year.
But shortly after the end of the show, the TV presenter separated from her longtime partner Dominic Cotton.
However, Susanna, a mother-of-three who dated pro Kevin Clifton, said the program wasn’t to blame for her love troubles.
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna told the Daily Mirror: “I think people think Strictly was implicated in what happened.” It wasn’t. Obviously things have been challenging in my personal life, but we’re getting the hang of things.”
Series 12: Sunetra Sarker
Actress Sunetra Sarker also announced her divorce after her appearance on Strictly.
She split from her husband, Nick Corfield, after ten years of marriage, just before the show hit theaters.
The couple met while vacationing in Jersey in 1989 and have a 13-year-old son together.
However, she said the romance ended well before her reality show appearance: “The truth is, me and my husband amicably split three years ago and obviously it had nothing to do with Strictly.”
The Casualty actress who Dr. Zoe Hanna, who plays the BBC medical drama, is now reported to be dating her business partner Scott Carey. Together, the two founded the food company Keep Me Fresh.
Series 12: Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack split from boyfriend of year and a half, Jack Street, after making it to the semifinals of Strictly Come Dancing.
The price of success: Caroline Flack split from her boyfriend of one and a half years, Jack Street, after making it to the semifinals of Strictly Come Dancing
According to The Sun, she was “distraught” behind the scenes at the BBC show but managed to put on a brave face to wow with her tango and topped the leaderboard.
A source close to her told the newspaper: “It came to a natural end and was mutual.”
Some contestants have ended their relationship to pursue romance with their dance partner on the show, but the source indicated that in Caroline’s case, that wasn’t the reason.
“Nobody else is involved,” they explained.
Caroline had been dating music manager Jack for around 18 months and had previously said he was okay with her work on the talent show despite her reputation.
“Jack was totally fine with the whole curse thing,” she said, quoted in The Mirror. “He never worried once.”
Series 13: Helen George
Out and over: Helen announced her split from husband of three years Oliver Boot after she was revealed as a contestant (pictured with pro Aljaz Skorjanec)
It wasn’t long before the dreaded Strictly curse struck again.
Actress Helen George announced her split from her husband of three years, fellow actor Oliver Boot, after becoming known as a contestant on the show.
“I can confirm that Helen split from her husband some time ago,” a rep for the star said. She has no affiliation with other Strictly participants or professional dancers.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Helen is best known for her role as nurse Beatrix “Trixie” Franklin on the hit BBC drama Call The Midwife.
George also performed as a backing 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 former partner on the set of BBC drama Hotel Babylon and the couple married in December 2012.
Series 13: Georgia May Foote
The actress was dating her Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward while she was on the cast of the series in 2015.
Breakup: Shortly after Georgina came second in the finals, she announced her split from Sean
But cracks began to form when it was reported that Sean was furious with jealousy over her decision to join, even allegedly accompanying her to rehearsals early in her Strictly journey.
Shortly after finishing second in the final, she and Sean announced their split – shortly after which Georgia was spotted kissing dance partner Giovanni Pernice during a romantic trip to Disneyland.
But just before rehearsals for the 2016 series began, Georgia and Giovanni ended their romance after just a year.
Giovanni has since moved in with 2018 contestant and former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, while Georgia is dating rapper Kris Evans.
Series 14: Louise and Jamie Redknapp
Divorced: Louise Redknapp appeared on the series in 2016, after which she and Jamie reportedly faced marital troubles
Footballer Jamie Redknapp was reportedly recently offered a spot on the Strictly lineup, but understandably declined after the series was blamed for the breakdown of his marriage to wife Louise.
Louise appeared on the series in 2016, after which she and Jamie reportedly faced marital issues. At the end of 2017 they were divorced.
It has been widely speculated that during the show Louise realized she wanted to get back to work after sacrificing her career for her marriage – with co-star Daisy Lowe, who is said to have helped her “rediscover her youth”.
A TV source said, “It used to be a show no celebrity ever turned down.” But the curse changed all that. There is now a serious concern that appearing on the show could negatively impact relationships. Jamie currently only has negative feelings towards Strictly. There’s absolutely no way he’s going to show up.’
Louise was also rumored to be romantically involved with her pro partner Kevin Clifton, although this has never been confirmed.
Series 14: Kevin and Karen Clifton
Breakup: The Cliftons — a married professional dancer couple — romantically split in 2018
Despite rumors surrounding the thrice-married Kevin during his partnership with Louise, nothing seemed to have happened between the two. Of course, he was also married at the time – to fellow professional Karen Clifton.
However, the couple has since split up.
Kevin proposed to her on stage during a performance of “Burn the Floor” on her birthday and they married in July 2015. However, in March 2018, they confirmed they were no longer romantically involved.
They have continued to work together as a professional dance partnership ever since, but insist there is no bad blood.
Series 16: Stacey Dooley, Sam Tucknott and Kevin Clifton
We’re done: Stacey’s boyfriend of five years, Sam Tucknott, 30, revealed in an interview with the Mail On Sunday that Stacey had dumped him
Stacey’s boyfriend of five years, Sam Tucknott, 30, revealed in an interview with the Mail On Sunday in April that Stacey had dumped him. He called her dance partner, thrice-married Kevin Clifton, 36, a slippery snake
Sam confronted Kevin in an angry video chat, branding him a “real rat”. He told MoS in an exclusive interview that he feels betrayed by the new couple’s romance.
It has been claimed that Stacey and Kevin’s relationship was an “open secret” on the Strictly tour. The news has eclipsed the show’s latest series, reviving the so-called ‘Strictly curse’ that has led to the breakup of 14 couples.
The 32-year-old TV host broke her silence on Twitter shortly after, stressing that “there are two sides to every story”.
All right: In August 2019, just before season 17, Neil and Katya announced their separation after eleven years of marriage
Series 16/17: Katya and Neil Jones
In 2018, The Curse struck early in the season, and the drama escalated just three weeks into the live shows.
In a new twist, a love square was created when Katya Jones, who is married to fellow show pro Neil, was snapped at her celebrity partner, comedian Seann Walsh, on the street outside a pub in London. This happened on the birthday of Sean’s friend, actress and author Rebecca Humphries, and no less.
Dumped: Neil and Katya’s split comes 10 months after her kiss with Seann (pictured with ex-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries)
The couple dismissed it as a “one-off mistake,” though they kissed and laughed cheekily in public. Since then, Rebecca has “dumbed” Seann via a Twitter statement.
Seann and Katya didn’t pull out of the show as their affair was a giant elephant in the room as they were still acting on the series and Neil was also on the set.
But in August 2019, just before Season 17, Neil and Katya announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. The split came just ten months after her kiss with Seann.
Series 18: Nadiya Bychkova, Matija Škarabot and Kai Widdrington
In January 2022, Nadiya announced that she had split from fiancé Matija Škarabot, with whom she shares her five-year-old daughter.
New couple: Professional dancers Nadiya and Kai began a romance after she split from fiancé Matija
The news broke shortly after she partnered with married BBC breakfast presenter Dan Walker and there were rumors of a romance, but they were quickly dispelled.
The professional dancer later revealed that she had in fact secretly split from her fiancé before Series 18 even started, and during that time she met a dancer with fellow professional Kai – who in this series has a romantic relationship with his partner AJ Odudu had.
While Nadiya didn’t reveal exactly when she and Kai started dating, in her first interview about their romance, she said she found him to be kind and compassionate and made me laugh. I feel very relaxed with him.’
Series 18: Max George, Stacey Giggs and Maisie Smith
Dancing through life: Max and Maisie began a romance after appearing together on the 18th season of the hit series
When Max appeared on Season 18 of Strictly, he was happily dating Stacey, who he had been dating for four years, with the singer taking on the role of stepdad to their two children.
But months after appearing on the show, he began dating fellow Series 18 star Maisie Smith, who was involved with singer HRVY during her early days on the show.
Still, Max and Maisie are said to have become closer on the Strictly Live Tour, which took place a few months after appearing on the show together.
Stacey then accused her ex of cheating on her with Maisie and reportedly felt “cheated” by her former boyfriend.
Series 19: Adam Peaty and Eirianedd Munro
Sad: Adam Peaty has split from girlfriend Eirianedd Munro after three years together and has apologized for “abandoning” his partner and their son together
In an Instagram statement in August 2022, Olympic swimmer Adam confirmed on Instagram that he and girlfriend Eirianedd Munro had split after three years together.
He said the couple have decided to “go their separate ways” but their son George, who will turn two next month, remains their “priority”.
Adam announced the news via social media, writing, “Eiri and George I’m sorry to have let you down.” “My only interest is in the well-being of our family at this difficult time.”
When it came to the breakup, Adam caused a stir on the dance floor last year with his chemistry with his pro partner Katya Jones. Keen-eyed fans claimed they thought they almost kissed at the end of a steamy show.
Following the incident, Eirianedd admitted she was “very emotional” after her athlete boyfriend’s “almost kiss” with Katya.
Eirianedd told fans she took a “brief break” from social media after Adam and Katya became very close at the end of their fast-paced Argentine tango last fall.
Series 19: Rose Ayling-Ellis and Sam Arnold
Outright winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has wished her dance partner Giovanni Pernice a happy birthday after splitting from longtime boyfriend Sam Arnold.
The 27-year-old EastEnders actress dated her partner for seven years and he cheered her on as she lifted the Glitterball trophy last year.
Sad: Outright winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has reportedly split from longtime boyfriend Sam Arnold (pictured together)
However, the pair have reportedly called it quits as Rose continues to throw herself into work after being inundated with offers after winning Strictly.
This comes after it was recently reported that Rose’s friends have expressed doubts about the couple’s future due to their busy work schedule and said they were concerned the infamous Strictly curse could strike again.
Rose – who has kept their relationship fairly private over the years – vacationed alone in Barcelona earlier this year.