Strictly Come Dancing‘s John Whaite has admitted that he nearly fell to the curse after falling in love with his dance partner Johannes Radebe.
The Great British Bake Off winner, 34, said he ‘fell in love’ with Johannes, 36, when they became the BBC ballroom show’s first same-sex partnership in 2021, coming second behind Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.
‘I fell in love with him,’ John, who was in a relationship with long-term lover Paul Atkins at the time, said. I can’t speak for him since I’m not legally permitted to, but it seemed like there was love there.
He continued: ‘So yes, I fell in love with Johannes. I still love Johannes. Of course I do.’
The baker said he told Paul, a graphic designer, about his feelings toward Johannes which resulted in them agreeing on some ‘time apart’, which John said he spent ‘sat on the patio, drinking bottle after bottle of sauvignon blanc.’
The couple, who are now engaged, eventually reconciled, with John telling The Times: ‘I look at Paul and what he’s put up with over the years and how he’s nurtured me and stood by me, and who would throw that away? I couldn’t.’
John stated that he still speaks to Johannes on occasion but would discontinue communication if it got ‘tricky’ for Paul.
Celebrity competitors and professional dancing partners who fall in love when one or both are in a relationship are said to be cursed.
A couple of years ago, Strictly Come Dancing co-presenter Claudia Winkleman shared her views on the curse, telling Digital Spy: ‘I understand, it’s very intense. I don’t believe in the curse, but I think lots of people have come in single and they might have met somebody or had a little romance.’
She continued, stating: ‘It’s intoxicating, Strictly, because you’re all part of this extraordinary juggernaut. So I don’t think people fall in love with people, they might just love the experience.’
One of the most noteworthy manifestations of the Strictly curse in recent years was comedian Seann Walsh kissing his professional partner Katya Jones in 2018.
Katya was married to fellow dancer Neil Jones at the time, while Seann was dating actor Rebecca Humphries.
Stacey Dooley won the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing with her partner, Kevin Clifton, in 2018, and announced their relationship the following year.
Stacey, who was dating Sam Tucknott at the time, has disputed that she and Kevin were romantically connected while competing, saying, ‘It was much later down the road for us.’
Rachel Riley, Countdown star, announced her divorce with Jamie Gilbert, whom she met at university, in November 2013.
Later that year, she began dating her Strictly partner Pasha Kovalev, with whom she is now married and has two children.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC and iPlayer later this year.
