Strictly Come Dancing: Craig Revel Horwood predicts ‘Strictly curse’ will be ‘more intense’ this year

BBC show has a reputation for romantically matching celebrities and their professional dance partners

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has said he believes the new lockdown measures will intensify the show’s “curse”.

Across its 17 seasons, the reality show has acquired a reputation for pairing celebrities and professional dancers who later become romantically involved.

Given that many of the stars and professionals were already in relationships, Strictly’s pattern of creating romance among its cast is popularly referred to as the “Strictly curse”.

Speaking to The Sun about the so-called “curse”, Horwood said: “I think it’s going to be more intense, isn’t it?”

The host pointed out that this season’s partners could end up “in a lockdown situation with each other”.

Horwood also said that he thought of it as a “blessing” as opposed to a curse. He said: “We’ve had people falling in love. We’ve had babies. How can people call it a curse?

“Let’s face it, it's not just Strictly, it’s every walk of life. How many people meet at work and spend the rest of their lives together?”

In 2018, English comedian Seann Walsh made headlines after he was photographed kissing his married dance partner Katya Jones.

While this year’s cast will not be required to move into the same household, certain measures are being taken so that the pairings do not have to socially distance while rehearsing and performing together.

In July, it was reported that the professional dancers face a six-week lockdown ahead of the hit BBC show’s return.

Strictly has already faced filming setbacks due to the pandemic. The show is a month behind schedule, airing from 24 October with a reduced run of nine weeks instead of the usual 13.