Craig Revel Horwood looking forward to return of the 'Strictly' curse

Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he’s looking forward to the infamous Strictly curse returning when COVID restrictions lift.

The TV judge said the rules in place for the 2020 series of the BBC ballroom show put a bit of a “dampener” on the so-called Strictly curse, a phrase that was coined because over the years several contestants have ended up having relationships with their show partners.

The Mirror quoted him as saying: “I look forward to the curse every year because I never think of it as a curse, I always considered that a blessing.

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“It’s better meeting someone at work isn’t it? Someone you are dancing with and getting to know and fall in love.

“Rather that than a dating app. That’s how everyone has to meet these days.”

The curse has seen many of the celebrities who take part in the show suffer breakdowns in their relationships shortly afterwards.

Newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky won the very first series in 2004 with professional partner Brendan Cole – who split from his fiancee Camilla Dallerup shortly afterwards.

And boxer Joe Calzaghe split from his girlfriend Jo-Emma Larvin not long after he started training for Strictly with his professional partner Kristina Rihanoff. They went on to date for four years.

Rihanoff later got together with rugby player Ben Cohen, who was her celebrity dance partner in 2013.

Couple Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton also met on the show, when they were teamed up on the dancefloor for the 2018 series.

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They won the competition and later started dating.

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