Celebrity had secret affair with Strictly pro dancer

A couple on a recent series of Strictly Come Dancing had a secret affair shortly before the celebrity dancer’s relationship broke down, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The emergence of yet another illicit liaison between one of the celebrity-pro dancer pairings on the BBC dance show, notoriously said to be prone to a relationship ruining ‘curse’, heaps yet more pressure on crisis-hit producers.

It comes in the same week as it emerged that video footage is in circulation of a separate married celebrity who was formerly on the show kissing in a sexualised manner their dancing partner.

And it follows the announcement by both veteran presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman that they intend to leave Strictly at the end of its current run.

An insider told the Mail: ‘One of the celebrities had a fling with one of the dancers while they were still with a partner at home – and everyone has just found out.

‘It’s unclear if their partner ever found out but the relationship later ended so it’s not inconceivable that they did.’

It’s understood the dance pairing managed to keep the fact that they were having a clandestine affair secret from the rest of the cast and production team throughout their Strictly run.

There were rumblings of a ‘great connection’ between the pair while they were competing, but fellow contestants put it down to their ‘insane chemistry’ – a not uncommon manifestation when two people bond while training together intensively.

But now that the claim about their fling has come to light, those connected to that particular series have realised ‘the signs were there’ in plain sight for much of the time they were filming.

Our source added: ‘This just could not come at a worse time. People talk about the ‘curse of Strictly’ meaning that it kills off marriages and relationships – and goodness knows there have been plenty of those episodes.

‘But lately it’s felt like a curse applies to the show itself. It’s just been one thing after another.

‘And it’s all overshadowing what is meant to be just an innocuous light entertainment show.

‘It’s come to light because secrets never stay quiet for long, especially with Strictly.’

This week’s earlier scandal around the show came when it emerged that a ‘secret’ video was in circulation showing a married celebrity kissing their professional dance partner.

It was said that the 12-second clip ‘threatens to detonate Strictly.’

According to the report, the video was taken backstage at Elstree Studios, where the Saturday night show is filmed, by a stunned member of the production team who witnessed the couple being intimate in their dressing room.

Pairings previously linked to the so-called curse during the show’s two decade run include – a Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole, Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace, Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna, Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff, Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff and Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev.

But the long-running BBC show has increasingly faced scrutiny following a series of allegations made against the production and several of its professional dancers over darker issues.

Graziano Di Prima was removed from the line-up in 2024 after admitting to kicking his former celebrity partner, documentary presenter Zara McDermott, and ‘pushing’ her ‘quite hard’ during training sessions.

Zara later posted a statement online, saying she had been involved in incidents during rehearsals that she found ‘incredibly distressing’ to watch back.

Giovanni Pernice was also asked not to return to the programme after his former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington accused him of ‘bullying’ and creating a ‘toxic environment,’ which prompted a full BBC investigation.

In last year’s show celebrity dancer Wynne Evans, who used to front the Go Compare ads, was partnered with Katya Jones, when he stumbled into scandal.

Wynne was filmed using the vile term ‘spit roast’ – a three-way sex act – to his co-star Jamie Borthwick in relation to professional dancer Janette Manrara during the launch of the Strictly Live Tour.

An apology was released on the singer’s behalf and he was subsequently suspended from Strictly Come Dancing’s live tour.

During last week’s show, Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and his professional partner Karen Clifton became the latest couple to leave the competition.

They lost the dance-off to drag queen La Voix and their partner Aljaž Škorjanec, who were saved by the judges.