Strictly ‘double curse’ that tore controversial couples apart, wrecked careers & left homeless Corrie star sofa-surfing

BENEATH the sparkle and dazzle of Strictly Come Dancing lies a phenomenon that's cast a shadow over the show for years - the dreaded curse.

Over the years, numerous celebrities have waltzed into the competition only to find their off-screen relationships crumbling.

While some have insisted it had nothing to do with the show, others brazenly ended up with the people they have been partnered with.

Many have been able to spin their controversial newfound relationships into lasting romances, but others have fallen victim to further misfortunes.

This week, it was revealed that former professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff, 46, and her fiance, Ben Cohen, 45, have been fighting to keep their relationship together.

Ben, a former rugby player, made the revelation after they appeared in court over Kristina driving her £30,000 Audi Q3 without insurance.

During the hearing, Ben said: "I wake up every day fighting not to lose everything—my cars, my house, and my relationship. I’m deeply overdrawn."

Kristina and Ben were paired together during the 2013 edition of Strictly,

Once the series ended, Ben disclosed that he had split from Abby, his wife of over 11 years.

At the time, he was forced to deny he had an affair with Kristina after they were spotted linking arms while travelling on a London train.

The pair eventually went public with their relationship, welcomed their first child together in 2016, and got engaged.

They now join a growing list of celebrities and professionals who faced further misfortunes after falling victim to the Strictly Curse, as we reveal...

Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff

Falling for Ben was not the first time Kristina tasted the Strictly curse.

Just one week into their pairing on the BBC show in 2009, boxer Joe Calzaghe, 52, sensationally split with Jo-Emma Larvin, his girlfriend of five years.

Shortly afterwards, he began a romance with his dance partner, Kristina.

In an interview at the time, Jo-Emma revealed she was concerned when Joe told her about his plans to join the show.

"I said to him, 'Don't they all end up having affairs?', she said. "Then, the first week he started, we broke up. Make of that what you will."

She added: "It all just happened so fast, I was really confused. I was a mess. Joe's changed. The Joe of the last year or two is certainly not the Joe I fell in love with."

Although Joe and Kristina's relationship appeared solid, it did not last - they broke up after four years.

Explaining the reason for the split, Kristina said: "He wanted a girlfriend at home with his family in Wales, but he didn't want to get married or have children and I didn't want to give up that dream.

"And I won't live a lie, because life is too short".

She added: "He always found it difficult when I danced with other men."

Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice

Giovann Pernice's recent bullying scandal is not the first time he has been involved in controversy on the show.

Back in 2015, he was paired with former Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote, 33.

Before that, she had been in a relationship with fellow Corrie actor Sean Ward.

Judging by her chemistry with Giovanni, 34, many fans wondered whether their relationship was strictly professional. Georgia assured fans that she was happy with Sean.

But after the series wrapped, she shockingly broke up with Sean only to start a new relationship with Giovanni.

At the time, it was reported that Sean's insecurities over her closeness with Giovanni led to their split.

But their relationship did not survive.

Before the next series of the show kicked off, Georgia took to social media to write: "It is with great sadness we have decided to split up. There is nobody else involved."

According to sources, their break up was a huge shock for Georgia as they had been thinking about the next stages of their relationship.

A source said at the time: " She's devastated and in shock because it was not something she was expecting. 

"There's a definite feeling among her friends and family that it was very convenient timing for him."

Meanwhile, in August 2021, Sean was arrested during a London protest.

He later revealed he had struggled to get work and was forced to give up his four bed house.

Last year, Sean revealed he was homeless and sleeping on friends' floors, and he also admitted he tried to take his own life in 2018.

He said "I know deeply how lonely [being cancelled] can be and isolating, after trying to take my own life in 2018 after discovering the evil on this planet and no one caring.

"I decided using whatever s**tty little platform I'd built through my acting career to at least try sieve through the propaganda together and thereby sabotaging my own reasonably successful career- to go from earning 120K a year to 12K a year, sleeping on a mates mattress is actually unfathomable to most people."

Matt DiAngelo and Flavia Cacace

Italian dancer Flavia Cacace, 44, made headlines when she dumped fellow professional dancer Vincent Simone in 2007 for EastEnders star Matt DiAngelo, 37.

Before that, the pair had been in a relationship for eight years and had been long-term dance partners.