Faye Tozer insists marriage is 'solid'

Faye Tozer has beaten the \'Strictly Come Dancing\' curse - insisting her marriage is "solid".

The Steps singer has been married to hubby Michael Smith for nine years and says she takes rumours about their relationship "with a pinch of salt", because they are "fine" and couldn\'t stop talking to one another while she was rehearsing for the show.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Me and Michael are solid.

"Me and Michael were on the phone all the time. As long as we know we\'re fine, that\'s all that matters."

Following a one-month stay in a London hotel near the end of \'Strictly\' - on which she lost out in last weekend\'s final to Glitterball champ Stacey Dooley - she was delighted to pick up her nine-year-old son Benjamin from school on Monday (17.12.18) as a surprise.

She added: "We had a lovely embrace."

Faye - who was partnered by pro dancer Giovanni Pernice in the series - recently admitted she was surprised to be offered the chance to take part in the show, saying she didn\'t ever envisage being considered due to her previous dance experience.

The 43-year-old trained choreographer - who has starred in musicals \'Tell Me on a Sunday\' and \'Rhinestone Mondays\', among others - said: "I didn\'t think I would ever be considered for \'Strictly\' because I come from a dancing pop group.

"I didn\'t think that I would ever get the chance to be on there."

She has defended fellow \'Strictly\' contestant Ashley Roberts after the Pussycat Dolls singer came under fire for also having dance experience.

Faye said: "There\'s always somebody with more experience than others but the thing we have in common is that none of us have ever done the ballroom or the Latin and some people are just natural movers.

"They want to have some sort of standard and level because if everybody couldn\'t manage it every week you wouldn\'t be able to create such a beautiful and amazing show."