Strictly star lifts lid on show's WhatsApp group, amid Amanda feud reports

24 October 2023 , 13:15

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Strictly star lifts lid on show's WhatsApp group, amid Amanda feud reports

Strictly Come Dancing star Krishnan Guru-Murthy has opened up this year's cast's WhatsApp group in the wake of Amanda Abbington quitting the competition on Monday.

The Channel 4 News presenter explained that the group is "pretty active" and useful for providing support to each other during times of struggle. And asked who the 53-year old is pals with on the BBC show, Krishnan revealed there isn't a single celebrity he doesn't get on with, as he dismissed rumours of backstage tension.

"We come together on a Friday, but we're all in touch during the week because we've got a WhatsApp group," he explained. "As soon as someone is having a bad moment, they'll go on the group and say, 'I'm having a terrible day' and everyone else will pile in with their own experiences and advice, or Angela Rippon will tell you about her cryotherapy chamber," he joked.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy says the Strictly cast benefits from a WhatsApp group

At the start of the series, there were suggestions of a "clash" between the strong-willed Giovanni Pernice and Amanda over the professional's intensive training routines. The pair were reportedly struggling in their partnership, with Amanda said to be left feeling miserable over his "aggressive training style and attitude".

However, Krishan went on to tell Bella magazine that the show's stars also use the group to simply "share information, support, jokes and gags" to lift each others' spirits. He continued: "We genuinely care about each other - there's a lot of care and affection. We're all getting along really, really well."

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Krishnan claims the Strictly cast all get along amid reports of a feud between now-departed Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice

Week five of he competition saw Krishnan and his professional dance partner, Lauren Oakley, record an impressive score of 30 - placing them sixth on the leaderboard out of the 11 remaining couples. The public vote had no bearing on their position meanwhile, with the pair safely through to this weekend's Halloween special.

Father-of-two Krishnan said he also has a good relationship with the show's judges, Craig Revell Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke. "I find their comments so intelligent and helpful," he said. "They're giving us constructive advice that I then take away and go, 'Right I've got to do something about that'."

Fans had wondered if Giovanni and Amanda had a falling out behind the scenes (BBC)

Krishnan recently joked that he's lost two-and-a-half stone from the pressures of being a 53-year old with a "hot wife". Speaking to MailOnline about his insecurities, he admitted: "I think it's not necessarily a bad thing if men pull themselves together because their wives are looking hotter than they are." He went on to confess that his "greatest fear" was women running off with younger, healthier men.

He continued: "My wife is enjoying that I am a little bit lighter than I was. In a way, I have been trying to keep up with her. She's amazing and so I think she's pleased I have started catching and pulling myself together, getting fitter and looking a bit more presentable."

Alan Johnson