As Strictly Come Dancing enters its fifth week, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, and Motsi Mabuse have returned as regulars on our screens.
In 2021, the show's judging panel underwent a major transformation when former professional dancer Anton took the place of Bruno Tonioli, who had been a part of the show since its inception in 2004.
While we are all familiar with the judges on screen, here’s a closer look at their love lives off screen.
Craig Revel Horwood
Craig, aged 58, has been on the Strictly judging panel since the show's debut nearly two decades ago. In 1990, at the age of 25, he married Jane Horwood, who was 30 at the time.
However, their marriage ended less than two years later after Craig discovered Jane was having an affair. He wrote in his book All Balls and Glitter: My Life: "It didn't last, mainly because our sex life diminished somewhat, and I suppose that led to the inevitable scenario – Jane slept with someone else."
Despite their breakup, Craig and Jane have maintained a close friendship. After his marriage to Jane, Craig dated Harley Street pharmacist Grant MacPherson, but they split in 2011 after five years together. In 2013, he announced his relationship with Britain's Got Talent puppeteer Damon Scott, but they broke up in 2016 after three years.
In 2018, Craig found love with horticulturalist Jonathan Myring, who is 22 years his junior. The pair met on Tinder Jonathan proposed during a trip to Tasmania in March 2020, and the couple plans to marry sometime in 2024.
Shirley Ballas
Shirley has been married twice. Her first marriage was to ballroom dancer Sammy Stopford in 1980 when she was just 17. The couple divorced four years later but have remained friends over the years.
Her second marriage was to Corky Ballas, whom she met at a dance competition in Canada in 1982. The couple separated in 2007 after 22 tumultuous years of marriage. During their marriage, Shirley claimed that Corky fat-shamed her, which caused her to have a "difficult" relationship with food.
Love struck again when she met Danny Taylor in 2018 during pantomime rehearsals for Jack And The Beanstalk.
The star shared that they have a "unique, unconventional relationship" that is "built on trust". Shirley has previously explained that it's normal if they go months at a time without seeing each other as it works for them and they're "happy" with the arrangement.
Motsi Mabuse
Motsi, a Strictly judge since 2019, married German dancer Timo Kulczak in 2003 when she was 23. They separated in 2014 after 11 years of marriage.
In her 2022 book, Finding My Own Rhythm, Motsi described the toxic elements of their relationship, including control over her finances and food choices. She also mentioned daily arguments and Timo's refusal to let her open her dance school.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Timo demanded £70,000 from Motsi due to the comments she made about him in her book.
Having now refused to settle the claim, the case will head to court and in a bitter twist, her ex-husband's lawyers have asked the court to put the dancer behind bars for up to six months or fine her £250,000 if she ever repeats the claims made in her book.
Motsi has been happily married to dancer Evgenij Voznyuk since 2017, and they have a daughter together.
Anton Du Beke
Former Strictly pro Anton Du Beke, aged 57, met Hannah Summers at a golf club in 2011, and they quietly married in 2017. In March of the same year, the couple announced the birth of twins, George and Henrietta, who are now six years old.
However, the road to parenthood was challenging. They tried for many years without success and eventually turned to IVF.
Anton described their IVF journey as "boot camp," involving blood tests and daily injections. Hannah had struggled with endometriosis, and they discovered she couldn't conceive naturally.
Anton said that having kids at the age of 50 completely changed his life.
"I love it,” Anton told OK! in an exclusive interview. “They’re six-and-a-half now. I just think it’s the best thing. They’re wonderful. Everyone thinks this about their own children, but I think they are pretty marvellous. It is all about them, really, that’s what is brilliant about my life."
Source: Read Full Article
