Is This The Reason Why So Many Strictly Couples Fall For Each Other Off The Dancefloor?

Every single year, without fail, as celebrities put their best foot forward on Strictly Come Dancing, viewers at home are left chatting about will-they-won't-they romance rumours. Strictly has been on our screens for 17 years now - what?! - and over those years, there have been some very famous instances of the now infamous 'Strictly curse'.

While there have been instances of celebrities coming into the show single, and leaving with a new-found IRL partner in their professional counterpart, the 'Strictly curse' refers to when things are a little more complicated... When either the celebrity, or the dancer, are already in a relationship, which breaks down over (or shortly after) the series. (Perhaps the most famous example Seann Walsh and Katya Jones.)

This year, the rumours aren't slowing down. Tilly Ramsay - who is single - has been linked to her dance partner, Nikita Kuzmin. And some viewers are willing EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice{ =nofollow}to be together, after Giovanni told Rose 'I love you' after their incredible tribute to the deaf community last week. (Admittedly, it looked to be in a friendly way, and while Giovanni might have just split with Maura Higgins, Rose has a boyfriend.)

But why does the Strictly curse keep on rearing its head year after year? What is it about spending all of your time dancing that makes you want to fall head over heels in love with your dance partner?

Presenter Claudia Winkleman has previously said she doesn't believe in the curse, as such, but she does understand how those single can fall for their partners. ‘I understand, it’s very intense,' she told DigitalSpy. 'I don’t believe in the curse, but I think lots of people have come in single and they might have met somebody or had a little romance.’ But Claudia thinks contestants '[don't] fall in love with people, they might just love the experience.’ (Which might explain why some couples split afterwards.)

There is also a more science-y reason why so many non-dancers end up pining for the dancers, according to behavioural psychologist and relationship coach, Jo Hemmings{ =nofollow}. 'When you’re thrust into a situation where you are very close physically and psychologically to a someone, spending a great deal of time with them and performing dances that require complete trust and emotional investment, it’s no wonder that it feels deeply intimate,' she tells Grazia. 'People will get bursts of the feel-good hormones of serotonin and oxytocin – the cuddle hormone. As they dance, endorphins are released, which increases their heart rate and feelings of attraction. And if they do get further through the process, dopamine kicks in – our reward hormone – which simply amplifies all the other positive feelings. This combination of hormones all feels very similar to falling in love.'

And the couples do spend a hell of a lot of time together, as Dianne Buswell{ =nofollow}- who is actually with her partner from 2018, Joe Sugg - told us that she will be rehearsing with her dance partner from 8am-6pm. So... Imagine spending that long with somebody, dancing all up close and personal - wouldn't it be difficult not to fall in love with someone?

But, as Jo points out, some of these relationships are doomed to fail. As we know, not all of the 'Strictly curse' couples stay together - and similar to as Claudia says, that might be because the experience is over.

'And then it stops. You’re no longer in the show, you’re not spending intense amounts of time practising intimate moves with your dancing partner and those hormones suddenly plummet,' Jo adds. 'And you may miss your partner and the excitement and adrenaline and/or recognise what may be lacking in your own relationship. However strong you think your relationship is, the whole experience will inevitably have some sort of impact on how you move forward. So not so much a curse, more an intoxicating and powerful challenge, which may be hard to resist.'

READ MORE: ‘I Love You!': Why Everyone’s So Obsessed With The ‘Hidden Mics’ On Strictly

READ MORE: AJ Odudu: 'Strictly Come Dancing Is So Surreal, I Feel Like I've Literally Stepped Inside The Telly'