Strictly Come Dancing 2018 contestant Seann, 32, and dance partner Katya, 29, have come under fire following a kiss they shared made headlines last week.
After apologising for their “drunken mistake” on social media and It Takes Two with Zoe Ball, 47, ex-Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff, 41, has spoken out about the situation.
Joining Louise Minchin, 50, and Jon Kay, 49, earlier this morning on BBC Breakfast, Kristina sympathised with couple, discussed the supposed Strictly ‘curse’ and explained how partners get close to one another.
During the conversation, Kristina claimed the pair had suffered a “terrible” week but urged them to “get themselves together” and move on.
“It did happen, you can’t take it away, you can’t go back in time, and what happened, happened.
“In the end of the day they are hired to do a job, they are both under contract and they have to perform. And the show is about dancing, it isn’t about personal life.”
Jon was quick to ask her opinion on whether Seann and Katya were at risk from being eliminated from the competition this weekend because of their behaviour.
“Of course I do believe,” Kristina began. “The public is what the show is all about.
“But I hope people will give them a chance just to perform the dance and perhaps judge on that rather than private lives.”
Louise also brought the supposed Strictly ‘curse’ into the conversation, to which Kristina argued: “I don’t think it does exist”.
“Statistically people get together at work…that’s where we have our relationships develop.
“You must understand, for the professional dancers on the show, it’s a full time job.
“You prepare for the show, you tour. You don’t go anywhere else, you don’t do anything else.”
Kristina also spoke about how a professional dancer and a celebrity contestant can get close to one another, just like in any other working environment.
“I think whether it’s dancing, where you have a partnership, a team, you will develop a strong relationship.
“[The celebrity] is very vulnerable right away, having to learn something new.”
The Russian professional also spoke about her own relationship with Ben Cohen, which sparked when they were partnered up for the eleventh series of Strictly back in 2013.
She defended her relationship stating it “developed after the show”.
“Also I have a family so I can’t really see the connection. Relationships do happen, I’m not the only person to have a second relationship, a second marriage.
“Anything where you have a partnership or teamwork you do have a connection because you have to trust each other. But whether it’s going to anywhere else, we don’t know.
“We can’t really judge because we don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors.”
Tonight viewers will tune in to see Seann and Katya perform the Charleston.
Last week, during Movie Week, the pair scored a combined 32 points from the judges for their Paso Doble.
Can they do better this week?
Strictly Come Dancing 2018 returns tonight at 6.40pm on BBC One.
