Strictly Come Dancing 2018: What is the Strictly curse?

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Strictly Come Dancing isn’t all glitz and glamour.

Competing on the show requires hard work and often draws competitors away from their families, creating rifts between loved ones. This phenomenon is known as the Strictly curse and has led to divorces, breakups, called off engagements and more.

And it seems this season is no different, after comedian Seann Walsh and his pro dancing partner Katya Jones were spotted kissing passionately in public over the weekend.  

Strictly Come Dancing has been known to have a negative effect on couples, giving way to what's known as the Strictly curse

Since we're barely into this season of Strictly Come Dancing, it seems the curse is a real thing and not just reality TV folklore. With Katya and Seann claiming the kiss was a 'one-off drunken mistake', it remains to be seen if their romantic partners — Neil Jones and Rebecca Humphries — will stand by them.  

Here’s what you need to know about the Strictly curse. 

What is the Strictly Come Dancing curse?

The Strictly Come Dancing Curse is seen when one or more members of a couple compete on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. The couple is typically torn apart by time-related issues or one partner's attraction to another person on the show, which often leads to infidelity. 

Couples who have been affected by the Strictly curse

Katya Jones and Seann Walsh

Katya and Seann are the most recent dance partners to be struck with the curse, after they were seen passionately kissing in public on Wednesday, October 3. Katya, who is married to Neil Jones, was the first to issue an apology, saying it was a 'one-off mistake after some drinks'.

Comedian Seann Walsh, who is dating Rebecca Humphries, also called it a 'drunken mistake'. It remains to be seen if this results in them splitting from their partners.  

Katya and Seann are the most recent dance partners to be struck with the curse, after they were seen passionately kissing in public on October 3

Karen and Kevin Clifton 

Karen and Kevin Clifton were the couple to feel the effects of the Strictly curse last season of the show. 

In 2017, a source told The Sun: ‘Kevin has spoken to some of those close to him and admitted things aren’t going well between them at the minute.’

Kevin himself said: ‘Strictly’s a hard few weeks for everyone.

‘Karen and I have found this year’s particularly hard as we’ve been in different places since the start — her in Manchester and London and me in Glasgow.’

Rumors continued to swirl into 2018. At first, Karen maintained that she and Kevin were happy together. In March, however, everything changed.

The couple announced that they were taking a break.

Kevin told This Morning: 'There was a big elephant in the room and normally you would deal with that privately and we're positive people in general so we thought we would just get on top of it and ride it.'

Karen was still wearing her wedding ring at the time. She explained it was because they were 'not divorced yet'. 

Speaking with MailOnline, Karen said: ‘It’s important to be open to all possibilities. I haven’t given up on it. I saw my parents break up and I didn’t like it.

‘I think the best thing for now is to behave like adults and take a break.’

She added: ‘You never know what’ll happen; maybe even in a couple of years…it’s just that right now this is what we need.’

Louise and Jamie Redknapp

After placing second in the 2016 iteration of Strictly Come Dancing, reports surfaced claiming that Louise Redknapp’s nearly two-decade old marriage was in a state of disaster. The Sun revealed in December 2017 that she and husband Jamie filed for divorce.

The time apart was said to be too much for their relationship.

A source said: ‘They have come to a mutual agreement that divorce is the only option. Louise has filed the paperwork and there’s no going back.’

They were granted a quick divorce in December 2017.

Court documents obtained by Celebs Now stated that 'unreasonable behavior' was the reason for their split.

Joanne Clifton and Joe Edward-Bader

The Strictly Curse doesn’t just affect married contestants. In February 2017, The Sun reported that Joanne Clifton and Joe Edward-Bader broke up weeks after she won Strictly Come Dancing.

They’re said to have been planning a life together, but their relationship couldn’t withstand the pressure that came with the show.

Around the time they’re said to have broken up, Joanne shared a photo of a man aiming a gun at Cupid. She captioned the image ‘#GoAway.’

She did not comment on the reason for their split.

Daisy Lowe and Bradley ‘Frankie’ Wade

Daisy Lowe and boyfriend Bradley ‘Frankie’ Wade succumbed to the Strictly curse in 2016. Sources close to the couple said they simply couldn’t find time to spend together.

Daisy said of the split: 'At the beginning, which is supposed to be the most joyful honeymoon period, I had nothing to give him, we could have coped with the pressure if we had been together for ages and had known all of the ins and outs of each other.'

Georgia May Foote and Sean Ward

Georgia May Foote broke up with Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward after she began appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015. She and partner Giovanni Pernice took runner up in the competition and were later seen kissing openly while on holiday together in Paris, The Sun reported.

They denied that they were a couple until they split in 2016. Scheduling conflicts were to blame for their separation.

Rachel Riley and Jamie Gilbert

Rachel Riley divorced husband Jamie Gilbert after 15 months together to be with Strictly Come Dancing partner Pasha Kovalev.

While she claims he was not the reason for her split from Jamie, they did confirm they were a couple in 2014. They are still together to this day.

Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace

Flavia Cacace dumped professional dancer Vincent Simone to be with EastEnders actor Matt Di Angelo in 2007 when they were partnered together on the show.

Unfortunately their relationship didn’t last either. Flavia and Matt broke up in 2010.

Flavia started dating Jimi Mistry amid news of her split from Matt. They married in December 2013 and are still together.

Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff

Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff found love on the set of Strictly Come Dancing after he left wife Abby Blayney. The pair had been together 11 years.

Kristina and Ben started dating and welcomed their first child, a daughter, in June 2016.

Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff

Before she and Ben Cohen got together, Kristina Rihanoff was in a relationship with Strictly Come Dancing Partner Joe Calzaghe. She and the boxer began dating in 2009 and split in 2013.

Kristina said it wasn’t the time apart that destroyed their relationship, but rather that her beau ‘found it difficult when I danced with other men’.

She later admitted she 'neglected' Joe, which 'put a lot of strain' on the relationship.

Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole

Strictly Come Dancing couple Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole were one of the earlier couples to suffer the effects of the Strictly curse. They split in 2004.

Natasha and Brendan made headlines after having an affair, leaving partners Mike Barnard and Camilla Dallerup for one another. When their relationship ended, Brendan went on to marry Zoe Hobbs.

They have two children together.

What time is Strictly Come Dancing on?

Strictly Come Dancing airs at 7:35pm BST on Saturdays on BBC One.

When is the Strictly Come Dancing final?

Strictly Come Dancing will likely have its final episode on December 15, 2018, in accordance with the time frame of previous seasons.