Strictly star says BBC show put a strain on marriage as hubby sought counselling
Strictly Come Dancing is set to make a big return next month and will see 15 new celebrities take to the dance floor in the hopes of scooping the Glitterball trophy.
The BBC show, which kicked off in 2004, has seen many stars transform from dancing novices to Paso Doble professionals and many speak highly of their experience.
However, not every celebrity is filled with praise when it comes to discussing their time on the dancing competition. Sophie Ellis-Bextor took part in Strictly in 2013 and was paired with professional dancer Brendan Cole on the series. The pair finished in fourth place on the series.
Murder on the Dancefloor songstress Sophie, 44, hasn't spoken positively of her experience and even said the time on the programme put a strain on her marriage to The Feeling musician Richard Jones, who "struggled" with her taking part in the competition.
Sophie and bassist Richard met when he auditioned for her tour band in 2002. The pair share five children; Sonny, Kit, Jesse, Mickey and Ray, together. The pair wed in 2005 and have been together since.
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Speaking in a candid previous interview on ITV's Lorraine, Sophie recalled how being separated from her husband caused a "wobble" and Richard even sought counselling for help.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor took part in Strictly in 2013, where she was paired with Brendan Cole (PA)Sophie said: "Brendan was brilliant, because right from day one his bit of advice was to involve my friends and my family.
"Whenever they could, they would come along, but it's a very intense experience and for Richard, he did struggle with it, which obviously in turn made me struggle.
"But he did get counselling and help and support, which allowed us both to enjoy it a lot more."
She added: "I suppose, Strictly has got so much about it that is glorious and joyful, but I think if they just had a little bit more of emotional support it would have definitely improved my experience."
Sophie went on to insist she "loved" being on Strictly. However, she claimed in her book, Spinning Plates, she said she had to pay "quite a heavy price" for taking part.
The singer is married to Richard Jones, who needed counselling to cope (Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/REX/Shutterstock)The musician said her husband "became unusually insistent on knowing where I was all the time".
"If I didn’t reply to a text, he’d spiral," she added. The singer penned: "Supporting me in all that I do usually came so easily to him, but with Strictly I think he was just waiting for it to end.
"He’d message me all day when I was rehearsing, extra keen to know my schedule. We would argue when I was home about how distracted I was and about whether I’d get through to the next week.
"He just felt as if I might slip into a new life that left our family behind. I had no such desire, but was too spent at the end of the day to give the reassurance he needed. I think the only real reassurance could come with the show finishing."
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