If there’s one thing Strictly Come Dancing is famous for other than its dazzling ballroom routines, it’s romance – with speculation about the celebrities and their dance partners flying around every year.
This year’s series has been no exception, with the likes of Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin having to deny that romance is in the air, Adam Peaty sparking rumours after his ‘near kiss’ with Katya Jones, and AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington reportedly falling for each other off the dancefloor.
But while the ‘curse’ of the show – that of celebrities breaking up with loved ones after falling for their partners – is well documented, Strictly has spawned its fair share of successful romances, not to mention a few babies along the way.
Which Strictly Come Dancing romances have lasted?
Flavia Cacace and Jimi Mistry
Former Glitterball winner Flavia Cacace (she won the series with Louis Smith in 2012) bagged a bigger prize when she was partnered up with former EastEnders/Coronation Street star Jimi Mistry in 2010.
The pair went on to marry in 2013, and more recently swapped dancing shoes for wellies, moving to a farm in north Devon after their previous venture, an online fitness business, fell victim to the pandemic.
You can keep up with them – along with their sheep and chickens – at their Instagram page @ourlifeatthebarn
Flavia – who was previously in a relationship with fellow Strictly pro Vincent Simone – also dated former EastEnder Matt Di Angelo, whom she partnered in 2007, and who she was still with when she and Jimi met on the show.
‘In an ideal world we wouldn’t have met through Strictly,’ she told Mail Online earlier this year. ‘I didn’t want it, not just because I was in a relationship, but because I didn’t want it to be like that. I was asking myself, ‘Why, why me?’. It became this big story. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.’
Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen
Kristina partnered rugby ace Ben Cohen on the series in 2013, while he was still married to ex-wife Abby – with whom he has twin daughters Harriet and Isabelle.
However, the couple split the following year, and he and Kristina went public on their relationship in 2015 – although they maintained their romance did not begin until after he left Abby.
The pair are now parents to daughter Mila, who was born in 2016, with Kristina announcing her pregnancy while she was a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother.
The Russian-born dancer – who also dated her 2010 celebrity partner, boxer Joe Calzaghe – said in 2019 that while she and Ben would get married the wedding was probably still ‘a couple of years away’.
‘It will probably be in a couple of years. Hopefully we’ll gather the family round and it’ll happen,’ she explained.
Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
Countdown numbers whiz Rachel Riley was still married when she was partnered up with Pasha in the 2013 series, but split in November of that year.
She later began dating Pasha, after the series had ended, and the pair are still going strong to this day, having married in Las Vegas in July 2019 and welcoming baby daughter Maven in December of that year.
At the time of writing Rachel was pregnant with their second child. She previously opened up about Pasha’s parenting skills, telling Hello! ‘My friends always said when you love someone and you see them with a child… he is just amazing with her.
‘He’s better with her than with me, I’ve got the secret weapon of boobs and he has to actually learn proper parenting.’
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez weren’t actually partners on Strictly when she appeared on the series in 2017 – she danced with Aljaz Skorjanec while Gorka was paired up with Alexandra Burke, both couples ultimately reaching the final.
However, romance still blossomed between the pair, who announced on Valentine’s Day 2018 that they were in a relationship.
The couple – who eventually made it to the Strictly dancefloor in the 2019 Christmas special – welcomed baby daughter Mia into the world in July 2019, and announced their engagement in February this year.
Gemma previous told Hits Radio she had been waiting for him to pop the question, saying: ‘It was quite sad because until then apparently they officially take the mum’s name, but once registered she’s an official Marquez. And I’m the only one now who’s not a Marquez in the family.
‘I said to him, “You do know now we need to get married otherwise I’m not part of the family”. He’s like “Yeah we have time, it’s OK”.’
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell
YouTuber Joe Sugg and Australian pro-Dianne Buswell reached the final of the series in 2018, and although they didn’t win, they did announce they were a couple soon afterwards.
Confirming the news with an Instagram snap of the pair of them together, Joe said: ‘I may not have won the Glitterball, but I’ve won something a million times more special.’ Awwwwww!
The pair are still very much an item, having bought their first home together in early 2021 – although Dianne has admitted she hasn’t really thought about marriage.
‘Joe and I don’t really talk about that kind of thing. We’re both so relaxed so we just play it by ear,’ she told Hello!
‘We really enjoy each other’s company so much and whatever happens, happens.’
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton were paired up on the show in 2018 and went all the way to victory, nabbing the Glitterball trophy in the final.
The presenter and documentary maker split from boyfriend Sam Tucknott – who had been seen supporting her in the audience at the show – in early 2019, and was later confirmed to be dating Kevin.
The pair kept quiet about their relationship until being put on the spot by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford in the summer of 2019, saying it was ‘all good’.
Meanwhile Stacey told The Guardian: ‘Kev and I have agreed not to go into too much detail about our private lives because you can’t really indulge that and then ask for privacy. That’s why we’ve turned down interviews that have offered us tens of thousands of pounds.
‘What I am happy to say is Kev’s amazing, I’m happy, life happens, I’ve got an amazing career and I’m very lucky.’
Strictly Come Dancing 2021 continues tonight on BBC One at 7:10pm.
MORE : With so many Saturday night spoilers, is it time to ditch the Strictly Come Dancing results show?
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