GOODBYE KISS AFTER DANCE Of SHAME ?
Judges’ verdict as caught-out couple hit floor for the first time
I danced for over 20 years in the Royal Ballet and I’m still happily married
Strictly couple Seann Walsh and Katya Jones hit the floor last night for the first time since their drunken kiss threw the show into turmoil. The couple took to the dance floor after a turbulent week when they were photographed kissing in the street and had to face the humiliating fall-out. There were calls for them to be booted off the BBC show after they fell foul of the so-called Strictly curse which blights the relationships of contestants. Mr Walsh was dumped by his girlfriend of five years Rebecca Humphries after a picture of him kissing Mrs Jones in the street emerged last week. His dance partner, who is married to fellow dancer Neil Jones, tweeted an apology saying her actions were “a one-off mistake after some drinks.” Outspoken judge Craig Revel Horwood said he wanted to see them “face the music” by dancing again – and laid the blame firmly with Mrs Jones as the professional of the pair. He told the Jonathan Ross Show: “My take was keep them in the show, make them do the Dance of Shame, if you like.” In another interview, he predicted the couple would find it “tough” to step out to perform the Charleston, which was a substitute for their planned Rumba. Mr Horwood said: “That’s where the awkward part of this whole scenario lies, as they’re the ones who have to face the music. “They’re the ones who have to go on and do the dance of shame. It’s like going to a Christmas party and you snog the boss. You still have to come to work on Monday if you want the job. “People talk about the Strictly Curse, but this happens in every profession. Yes, when you’re dancing you’re up close and personal for eight hours a day and you get used to being tactile – to holding hands, hugging, kissing – but it’s acting. “At the end of the day, you down tools and go home to your partner.” Former ballerina Darcey Bussell also dismissed the idea of the Strictly curse when the judges appeared together on the Jonathan Ross show. She said: “I danced for over 20 years in the Royal Ballet and I’m still happily married.” Mrs Jones has insisted that her relationship with Neil, who also appears on Strictly, is “absolutely fine.” She appeared alongside Mr Walsh on the spin-off show It Takes Two, and listened as he apologised for making “a mistake.” He said: “I made a mistake, which I’m very sorry for. I’m sorry for the hurt I caused. “You never think about the extent of the damage you’re going to do in a moment of a mistake you’ve made.” Mr Walsh is also reported to have now apologised face-to-face to Miss Humphries, who had accused him of reacting “aggressively” when she voiced concerns that his relationship with Mrs Jones was “inappropriate.” Miss Humphries also said: “But this whole business has served to remind me that I am a strong, capable person who is now free, and no victim.” The Strictly results will be revealed tonight on a show starring the Backstreet Boys. Contestant Katie Piper was given extra security ahead of last night’s show after the man who carried out an acid attack on her was freed from prison. Stefan Sylvestre had served nine years in jail. He is understood to have been banned from going near the star or the Elstree studios where Strictly is filmed. Ms Piper was seen arriving to rehearse a jive performance accompanied by the bodyguard after Sylvestre’s release.