Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has called for people to stop focussing on the show’s so-called “curse”, insisting it has actually been the catalyst for some “beautiful” relationships.
Shirley is currently gearing up for her third series as Head Judge on Strictly, having already seen plenty of romances bloom in the ballroom during her short time on the show.
In a new interview on Lisa Snowdon’s podcast Things I Told My Daughter, Shirley was asked for her thoughts on the infamous “curse”, which has seen several celebrities and professionals break up with their long-term partners either during or shortly after their time on the show, only to wind up dating a fellow Strictly star.
She said: “Well, is it a curse? I mean, let’s be real here… we have some beautiful arrangements, look at the lady who’s just had the beautiful baby with Gorka [Gemma Atkinson], just a beautiful soul.
“I mean, there’s been some great love stories from that show, but people just always want to focus on this or that or a mistake that somebody might make.”
Shirley also insisted that romances on Strictly are no different to any other workplace romance, saying: “If you’re travelling about with people and you’re getting close to people and this and that and the other, it happens everywhere. The only reason people pick up on it on Strictly is because it’s a high-profile show. But there’s no difference to that show than there is in anywhere else in the world.”
“I’m not going to comment on somebody else’s private life, but it happens all over,” she added.
Shirley’s comments echo similar statements made by fellow judge Craig Revel-Horwood earlier this year, when he was asked for his feelings about Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton’s romance.
He said: “I never call it the ‘Strictly curse’. I call it the ‘Strictly blessing’. People need to fall in love.”
Of last year’s final four celebrities, three of them are now dating a professional they met on the show.
As well as Stacey and Kevin, Joe Sugg is now in a relationship with his professional partner Dianne Buswell, while Ashley Roberts and Giovanni Pernice are also together, although they weren’t paired together on the show.