Phillip Schofield: 'it's not a Strictly curse - it’s a blessing’
Not everyone is up in arms over Strictly's Sean(n) Walsh and Katya Jones’s steamy kiss
After Seann Walsh and dance partner Katya Jones were caught kissing following a drunken night out, viewers were left wondering whether things between them will be kept Strictly business from now on.
Their passionate clinch saw fans of Strictly Come Dancing once again reference the show’s now infamous ‘Strictly curse’, which has seen several celebrity contestants split with their long-term partners after taking part in the programme (just two years ago, Louise Redknapp divorced husband of 19 years Jamie Redknapp shortly after appearing in the 14th season of Strictly).
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But not everyone sees the Strictly curse as necessarily a bad thing, with Phillip Schofield – host of ITV's deep-frozen equivalent Dancing on Ice – having rather a different view of on-screen romances.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the ITV Palooza on Tuesday night, the 56-year-old presenter explained, “It’s not a curse, it’s a blessing! It’s a blessing for people who make telly shows. Everyone likes a little bit of spice. Nobody’s breaking any rules.
“There are always Dancing on Ice romances. They happen quietly sometimes, they happen a little more loudly sometimes. Don’t forget we have Frankie and David Seaman, they met on the show and they got married. It’s happened.”
Other Dancing on Ice romances include Sylvain Longchambon and Jennifer Metcalfe in 2011 – before the professional swiftly skated off with new dance partner Samia Ghadie two years later.
Canadian skate professional Brianne Delcourt also had her fair share of romances on the ice – most recently with EastEnders’ star Matt Lapinskas in 2013 before the pair broke up shortly after.
Back on Strictly’s firmer ground, it seems Walsh and Jones have since been forgiven for their kiss, with the pair sailing through to the fifth week of the competition.
After reportedly swapping the raunchier cha cha for a more chummy Charleston last week, the pair are now dancing an equally sexless quickstep to Jake Bugg’s Lightning Bolt.
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6:45pm on BBC One
Dancing On Ice returns to ITV next year
