Strictly professionals' antics - celeb partner snubs, 'curse' and 'feuds'
It's almost time to put on your dancing shoes and twirl around your living room once more, as the competition for the Strictly Glitterball trophy gets underway again and celebs partner up with professional dancers in a bid to win it.
The show always promises lots of glitz and glam, from dazzling dance moves to sparkling costumes and fabulous live performances. There's a lot to see, but there's also a lot fans might not know about what goes on behind the scenes. For the Strictly professionals this is their job, and like any job, it can have its ups and downs - from being snubbed by potential celebrity partners, to feuds with fellow dancers and judges, as well as some unexpected co-worker romances.
Nadiya Bychkova hasn't been given a partner this year (PA)
Nadiya has had a partner every other season so far (PA)Most recently Strictly fans have seen how harsh it can be when a Strictly dancer is 'snubbed' when it comes to being partnered up for the show, as Nadiya Bychkova wasn't given a partner for the upcoming series. The 34-year-old Ukrainian dancer has been a professional on the show since 2017 and has always had a partner, until now.
The decision by the BBC bosses not to partner her up has reportedly left her 'seething', according to the Mail and fans are also unimpressed. Bosses have claimed there are many factors that go into choosing a celebrity partner for a professional, including height and how many years they've been on Strictly. Corporation sources told the publication that when the stars for 2023 met the dancers, there was no chemistry between Ms Bychkova and the male celebrities.
They added: "Nadiya was very surprised when she learned she would merely be part of the wider dance troupe. She felt like she had done well since she joined the show, so it was a shock. She wanted answers so she held several meetings with the bosses so she could get some answers. She is accepting it now."
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Being 'snubbed' for a partner is something professional Neil Jones has also experienced for years on the show. He wasn't given a celebrity partner for three years after joining Strictly, when he was partnered with Alex Scott in 2019. The pair made it to the quarter-final, but then it was another two years until he got another partner in former EastEnders star Nina Wadia in 2021.
However, he doesn't seem to mind too much. Speaking to Radio Times about it recently, he said: "I think this is going to be my eighth series, and I've had two partners on the main show. I would honestly say to you, I love when I have a partner, and I love when I don't have a partner. When you don't have a partner, a lot of people think you just sit at home. But you really don't. On Strictly, they make sure you've got plenty to do. We're doing group numbers and music acts, we help out other pros."
Former Strictly pro Glem Savchenko has claimed 'what happens on Strictly stays on Strictly' (PA)
Neil Jones was also previously snubbed for a partner on the show (REX/Shutterstock)And when they're not being snubbed, some of the professionals have been known to get a little too close to their partners, with former Strictly pro Gleb Savchenko previously claiming that "a lot of stuff happens secretly that we don't know about" on the show. Gleb, who quit in 2016 for the US version, spoke to The Sun after Seann Walsh and Katya Jones were infamously spotted kissing, despite being in relationships.
He said: "A lot of stuff happens secretly that we don't know about. It's obvious the dancers have feelings – it's not necessarily that they want to go and f**k them but a lot of people do. It's normal if you're single but if you're not single then OK, you've taken that a bit too far. I know from the past that these things happen and people get married and even stay together from the curse – it happens.
He added: "We've seen Seann and Katya making out outside a bar and if you asked me if I think… any of the others are making out when no one is seeing it, I cannot answer that question. It could well be happening. They may have hooked up even before Seann and Katya. Whatever happens on Strictly stays on Strictly, let's remember that."
Will Young mysteriously quit the show in 2016 (BBC)
Katya and Seann famously kissed on a night out (PA)Sometimes the emotions can also go in the opposite direction, with dancers and judges getting into rumoured feuds behind the scenes. Back in 2016, Will Young mysteriously quit the show mid-way through October after judge Len Goodman told him to "turn up, keep up and shut up" in a row over his Bollywood routine.
Citing "personal reasons", he made a hasty retreat, leaving his pro partner Karen devastated. "I haven't really been in touch with Will since the show," she told the Radio Times in 2017. "I think everybody understands his reasons and we all understand, but it's hard when there's the other half. It's my job and I love my job and it was really hard for me to stay behind and see everybody have an amazing series and not to be a part of it."
However, a source told The Mirror at the time that Will left in part due to backstage "squabbles" with Karen. The insider said: "Karen was just doing her job, she was training him hard but in the end he just didn’t want to keep getting told off and corrected all the time. It infuriated him. They squabbled a few times during rehearsals and it left him feeling exhausted."
And in January 2018, Brendan Cole was sacked from the show and claimed that his "cards were marked" after he mocked Shirley in her first week as head judge - the role he'd had his eye on. Appearing on the BBC2 show It Takes Two, when Zoe Ball asked if he was hoping to impress the newcomer, he sniped: "I'd imagine she's more likely to be wanting to impress us, I've been on the show 15 years, she's just showed up."
He quickly realised he'd made a mistake and sent an apology - which he said went unanswered. "I sent her a message saying, 'Didn't mean any offence, just making good telly'. I didn't get a reply," he said in John Bishop: In Conversation With. However, Shirley insisted there was nothing to see. "I don't have any recollection on a personal level of bridges ever being broken or rebuilt between me and Brendan," she told Hello! magazine.
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There was also reportedly tension between Gorka Marquez and Kevin Clifton in 2019, when the former wasn't given a partner to dance with. Kevin ignored Gorka's 'demotion' but sent messages of comfort to their co-star Graziano, who was in the same boat. Referencing his sister Joanna Clifton, Kevin tweeted his support to Garziano, writing, "Mate, my sister was the same in her second series. In her third series she won! You're one of the best dancers I know so get ready to OWN 2020!"
But when Gorka tweeted about his own lack of partner, fans noticed there was radio silence from Kevin. Gorka made no secret of his disappointment at the time and was even more disappointed when Kevin was then drafted in to partner with Alex Scott after her original partner Neil Jones injured himself in training.
Kevin had already had a partner in the form of Anneka Rice, who got eliminated in the second week. Making his feelings on the subject known, Gorka retweeted a series of angry fan messages including one that read, "Gorka deserved it not Kevin who already had a partner this year." Another read: "Should have been Gorks not King Kev."
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