Strictly’s worst ever pairings from celeb left ‘on brink of tears’ by pro to star who accused partner of ‘faking injury’
STRICTLY Come Dancing has seen some iconic pairings during its two decades on screen.
Tonight, the class of 2025 will learn who their pro-partners are on the pre-recorded launch show.
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But many will be hoping their Strictly partnerships don’t go the way of these past duos, who didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, to put it politely.
Here’s a recap of some of the worst Strictly pairings ever.
Fiona Phillips and Brendan Cole
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Former GMTV host Fiona took part in the third series of Strictly back in 2005.
She wasn’t a natural on the dancefloor, and she has claimed pro-partner Brendan Cole made his feelings on that very clear.
In her book, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, Fiona – who is battling the disease – wrote: “He could also be seen looking at my dancing and saying, ‘Pathetic, it’s not good enough!’
“Then I’m begging him to ‘stop shouting’ and worrying that I look completely ridiculous. There’s a clip where I say to the cameraman that Brendan is looking at me like he’s stepped in something.
“I really don’t remember much of that time now – maybe I blocked it out because all I recall is the sense that it was incredibly traumatic.”
She added that she was on ‘the brink of tears’ most of the time and quickly regretted her decision to sign up.
Johnny Ball and Aliona Vilani
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Legendary TV presenter Johnny, 87, was part of the 2012 series, where he was paired with the previous years winner, Aliona.
Aliona left the early stages of the 10th series due to an injury and Johnny was paired with Iveta Lukošiūtė instead.
Johnny ended up being the first to be booted off the show, but five years later, in 2017, Johnny launched an astonishing attack on his Strictly dance partners, accusing them of fixing it so he got booted off first.
He told The Sun on Sunday: “Aliona fell on a flat floor in flat shoes and said she had broken her leg.
“The next day she flew to the South of France for a pre-arranged weekend with her boyfriend.”
The star was then paired with Iveta – and he claimed that she devised a routine that was too difficult for him.
He said: “When I was knocked out she said, ‘That’s funny, my contract ends on Tuesday’.”
Aliona later took to X to deny his claims, saying: “I am aware that Johnny Ball has made allegations regarding my fractured ankle during 2012 SCD, which I strongly deny.
“I have instructed solicitors and am taking legal action in relation to his allegations.
“It’s therefore not appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Fern Britton and Artem Chigvintsev
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Former This Morning host Fern, 68, has spoken on a number of occasions about her experience on Strictly.
Fern was paired with Artem, 43, in series 10 in 2012 and was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated.
While her run on Strictly wasn’t long, it was tough, with Fern previously telling The Times: “He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me.”
Artem denied Fern’s claims of him ‘kicking or shoving her’ during tense rehearsals.
He told the Daily Express: “I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am.
“I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me.”
She added in her book, Fern Britton The Older I Get, how her confidence was knocked straightaway with Artem.
Describing the rehearsals as “challenging”, Fern added: “As the weeks went on, I found it increasingly hard to gather up my self-confidence and there were days I was crying before I even got into the rehearsal room.”
Lynda Bellingham and Darren Bennett
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The late actress and Loose Women star Lynda Bellingham signed up for Strictly in 2009.
She was paired with series two champ Darren Bennett, but the duo were voted out on the fourth week.
Following her death in 2014 from cancer, her husband Michael Pattemore claimed in a book that Lynda had “hated” her time on Strictly.
He wrote: “There were two things about Strictly she didn’t like. One was her body image. She always thought she looked fat. I kept saying she didn’t.
“She picked this ruched gold dress and she said it made her look 20 times bigger than what she was.
“And the other thing, she said her partner Darren Bennett was such a miserable git. There was no laughter, no fun.
“All the way through rehearsals she didn’t mind training hard, but it was solid dance. He was just hard work.
“If Lynda had had a partner like Anton du Beke or someone, now they would have had some fun together.”
Danny John-Jules and Amy Dowden
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Back in 2018, Red Dwarf star Danny was paired with pro dancer Amy Dowden.
While the pair produced some great routines, rumours of behind-the-scenes tension were rife.
The Sun revealed at the time that Danny, 65, had received a final warning by show bosses for “bullying” partner Amy.
The actor had reportedly left Amy in tears during training — at one point angrily telling her: “I’m the star, not you.”
When they were voted off in week eight, Danny opted not to take part in their exit interview on spin-off show It Takes Two, leaving Amy to do it on her own.
Strictly Come Dancing starts tonight at 6.20pm on BBC One.
