Aliona Vilani has made an apparent dig at ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, suggesting the show overworks its professional dancers.
The reigning ‘Strictly’ champ announced at the tail-end of last year that she was quitting the BBC series, which was later revealed to be so she and husband Vincent Cavanagh could start a family together.
However, she’s now admitted she felt she “had to step away” because the show’s grueling schedule was interfering with her life away from ‘Strictly’.
Speaking to reporters at the TRIC Awards, she explained: “Strictly is a really full-on show, so basically you have to take five months out of your life.
“You don't see your friends, you don't see your family, you don't have any days off.
"Let's say I want to start a family and have a baby - I don't want to take five months out of my life and not be with my child, especially in the beginning. So I think I really had to step away."
She continued: “I really want to start a family with my husband and I can't just take five months out of my life and not be with my family, without any days off.
"I don't mind if I would have a day or two days off - maybe that would change my mind - but with ‘Strictly’ you can't have that."
Back in December, Aliona became the first professional dancer in ‘Strictly’ history to win the Glitterball trophy twice, after she and her celebrity partner Jay McGuiness were crowned this year’s victors.
She’s the fourth of last year’s professionals to bow out of the show at the end of the current series, with Kristina Rihanoff, Ola Jordan and Tristan MacManus all announcing that they wouldn’t be back.