The relationships between professional dancers on “Strictly Come Dancing” and their celebrity partners are complicated.
From extreme cases of falling in love due to the Strictly curse to falling out in rehearsals, in some cases tensions have clearly risen between the Strictly pros and contestants. On screen, celebs and their dance partners have become incredibly close and are constantly seen holding hands and hugging, but they have also been seen arguing from time to time.
Karen Hauer has been on the show since 2012 and has had 12 different partners, but she recently named the late hairy biker Dave Myers as the celebrity she has the most fond memories of working with. And Hauer isn't the only one to have a favourite: here's what other Strictly pros had to say about their old celebrity dance partners:
Nadia Bychkova
Nadia Bychkova is a former BBC Breakfast quarter-finalist in 2021. Bychkova, up against presenter and Channel 5 news anchor Dan Walker, set a record for the most wins in the competition. But she surprised fans by revealing who her favorite celebrity partner was: It wasn't Walker. Bychkova told Closer magazine in 2022: “Davood Ghadami will always be my favorite because he was my first partner. He was in the audience with his wife when I was eliminated. We're all very busy, but we keep in touch. I had a great time with Dan Walker last year. He helped me a lot to build my confidence. We're still friends.”
She was paired with Ghadami, who played EastEnders actor Kush Kazemi, in 2017 and finished in sixth place.
Anton du Becque
Judge Anton du Beck is always telling people “You're my favourites”, which was actually a catchphrase from the late, great Strictly presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth. But has du Beck ever let slip who his favourite partners were on the show? He hasn't. But he has hinted that he may not have enjoyed dancing with some of his partners… After seeing Angela Rippon perform on the Strictly Live tour in February 2024, he told her, “Some of my partners can't walk down the stairs by themselves, but I don't care…”
Du Beke has danced with celebrities including Ann Widdicombe, Ruth Langsford, Kate Garraway and Judy Murray. His last partner was Labour MP Jacqui Smith in 2020, when she was the first to leave the show.
Amy Dowden
Amy Dowden will be returning to the dance floor this year after being forced to take a break in 2023 following her breast cancer diagnosis. She took part in the show in 2017, coming in second in 2019 alongside TV presenter Karim Zeroual. Although Dowden hasn't officially named him as her favourite, she has become close friends with McFly singer Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna since being paired with him in 2021. After disclosing her cancer diagnosis, Dowden revealed: “Tom and Giovanna immediately got in their car to come and meet me when I let them know, and we went for a walk together. Giovanna's encouragement played a central role in my decision to speak out about my experience in the hopes of helping others.”
Shirley Ballas
Chair of the judges, Shirley Ballas, has revealed her favourite celebrity and it's sure to surprise you: the dancing champion loves seeing MPs on the dance floor, not because of her political stance but for their comedic value.
“Anton du Beck and Ann Widdecombe's samba was just iconic,” Barras told The Sun in 2022. “I also loved Ed Balls in Gangnam Style. I want people to understand that it's not necessarily the best dancers who bring the entertainment element, which is so important in this show.”
Johannes Radebe
Former “Bake Off” stars John White and Johannes Radebe were runners-up on the show in 2021. Afterwards, White confessed that he had fallen in love with the South African dancer while working with him on the show, despite being engaged to his long-term partner at the time.
Radebe responded that the two will always be friends: “We've had great experiences together and it would be a shame if we weren't friends after all that we've been through. What we agree on is that no matter what challenges life throws at us, we will always remain friends.” [this friendship] I'm going, 'We're friends for life.'”
