Craig Revel Horwood says Strictly curse will intensify

Craig Revel Horwood thinks the \'Strictly Come Dancing\' curse will be more intense than ever this year.

The 55-year-old TV star has predicted that the show\'s coronavirus restrictions will bring the celebrities and the professional dancers closer together than ever before.

Craig explained: "I think it\'s going to be more intense, isn\'t it? Because they\'re in a lockdown situation with each other.

"Anyway, I always think of it as the \'Strictly\' blessing - look how many marriages we\'ve had out of it."

The hit BBC show has previously been accused of ruining relationships.

However, Craig doesn\'t look at the so-called curse in that light.

He told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "We\'ve had people falling in love. We\'ve had babies. How can people call it the \'curse\'? If you\'re in a relationship that\'s not going anywhere, it\'s not good in the first place.

"Let\'s face it, it\'s not just \'Strictly\', it\'s every walk of life. How many people meet at work and spend the rest of their life together?"

Craig is also delighted that the new series will feature the first same-sex partnership in the show\'s history, with boxer Nicola Adams set to be joined by a female dancer.

He said: "All the female pros are desperate to dance with Nicola because they get to lead for the first time. I\'d love to see Nicola dance with Karen Hauer, she would be fabulous.

"She\'s such a fantastic choreographer and a great leader as well."

Meanwhile, an insider recently claimed that Katya Jones has urged \'Strictly\' bosses to partner her with Nicola.

The 31-year-old star - who was caught kissing her \'Strictly\' partner Seann Walsh in 2018 - is eager to form a same-sex pairing with the former Olympian.

The insider explained: "Katya has been telling everyone on the show how keen she is to be paired with Nicola.

"She\'s a huge believer in girl power and thinks they\'d make a great team and be a hit with the viewers at home."