14 August 2023 , 21:52
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John Whaite has confessed to cheating on his fiancé with "soap stars and celebrities" after finding fame, amid his admission that he briefly split from his partner after his 2021 stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
It comes after the Great British Bake Off winner, 34, admitted he split from his fiancé after "falling in love" with his professional partner Johannes Radebe on the BBC dancing show. John shot to fame when he won the popular baking programme in 2021 when he was aged 23 and still and university.
He had been with his now fiancé Paul Atkins for five years at that time and has shared how he "tested boundaries" of their relationship. Upon finding fame, John was catapulted into a world of "freebies, champagne hampers, meals out and holidays" as well as screen tests, red carpets, parties and a six-figure book deal.
John and Johannes became Strictly's first same-sex couple (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
The baker confessed to 'falling in love' with Johannes (WireImage)John has since recalled to The Times, that there were: "Drunken fondles and experiments with various soap stars and celebrities." He admitted to getting "somewhat swept away with it all." John also confessed in the interview that he developed feelings for his dance partner whilst on Strictly. The baker and Johannes, 36, made show history when they became the first same-sex couple to take to the dance floor.
Opening up about his experience, he said he fell in love with Johannes and that he still does love him. After he left the show, John said he spent "some time apart" from Paul, who moved back in with his parents, while John "sat on the patio, drinking bottle after bottle of sauvignon blanc". However, the couple patched up their differences and are now engaged. John revealed he and Johannes still keep in touch, but insisted he would "cut all contact" if it became "tricky" for Paul.
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Concluding he loves his fiancé "to bits", he conceded he has to be 'mindful there are more than just his feelings to consider in the relationship". Following John's comments, a resurfaced interview of Johannes has cropped up from January. The professional dancer said in a candid interview on the podcast Reign with Josh Smith: "I have fallen in love with my art form again because of John. The opportunity to be so creative with what we had to come up with every week.
"I was trying to figure things out as I was going along. Not once did he make me feel otherwise. In my moments of doubt, John just stood by me and waited for me to figure it all out. And I can't tell you that patience, I'm in love with the man." Johannes continued: "I know he's a married man – soon to be – but let me tell you something, people come into your life and you just don't know how you've been doing without them this entire time.
"And that has been John for me, a really, really lovely lad. I can't tell you, he's the nicest person you’re ever gonna meet in your whole entire life." Many couples have fallen victim to the so-called 'Strictly curse' over the years as celebrities spend several weeks with their professional partner in the studio and on the dance floor. Over the course of 20 series of the BBC favourite, 14 couples have split up after strutting their stuff on the show.