BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air

Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev was teased about the 'Strictly curse' (Image: ITV) TM: Cat Deeley teases Pasha Kovalev over Strictly curse

Strictly Come Dancingstar Pasha Kovalev was teased about the 'Strictly curse' on Tuesday's episode of This Morning.

During the latest instalment, former Strictly pro Pasha, 44, joined his former co-stars Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite on the sofa as they all team up for a 'legends of the dance floor' tour.

However, chat got onto Strictly, especially as the 2024 series launched on Saturday night. During the chat, Pasha said of past and future celebrities taking part on the show: "Obviously the celebrities coming now, they've been exposed to all of the success of the show what has happened before - they want to do better, they want to push themselves to the next level."

Host, Cat Deeley, was quick to interject with a cheeky remark as she said: "They want to get a husband and two children." This was a nod at Pasha finding love with former celebrity dance partner, Rachel Riley.

Pasha and Rachel on Strictly in 2013 (Image: PA)

The duo were partnered on Strictly back in 2013, and in 2019 they tied the knot, welcoming two children together. Seeing the funny side, Pasha quipped: "That happens once in a blue moon!"

It comes as Pasha's wife and Countdown star Rachel revealed she has a four-word warning to celebrities considering signing up to Strictly. The maths expert, 38, told the High Performance Woman Podcast that she always urges potential contestants to think carefully before accepting.

She said: "I don't tell people to go into it lightly. People say 'I've been offered this, and should I do it?' On a few occasions, I'm quite honest when I say 'It's not all golden'."

In fact, her dance partner – and now husband Pasha – advised her to see a therapist to cope with the stresses of the show. She explained: "When I was on Strictly. I got stage fright – I hadn’t had it before but it was like an out-of-body experience."

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Rachel’s therapist discovered that the root of her problem was her perfectionist nature, which wasn’t a great combination with the pressures of a weekly live show.

She recalled: "I’d never danced a step before in my life, and it was absolutely terrifying – you go in on Sunday to do a new dance and on Saturday you’re dancing in front of 10million people."

He advised her to try some breathing exercises, which she used in her final appearance on the show and it worked. Her ambition was to get eight points from one judge, and in fact, she recalled: "I got two eights the week I was voted out!"

This Morning airs on weekdays at 10am on both ITV and ITVX.

BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air

BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air

BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air

BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air

BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro makes rare show curse admission live on air