Strictly Come Dancing star JB Gill and his pro partner Amy Dowden really put their all into the rumba last weekend, with chemistry so convincing his own wife thought there was some lip-locking.
The JLS popstar, 37, is a firm favourite among both Strictly viewers and judges, having topped the leaderboard in week 1 and remained consistent for the past three weeks.
On Saturday night, he and Amy, 34, danced a sensual rumba to You Might Need Somebody by Kara Marni, which scored a respectable 30 points.
It’s safe to say the choreography was intimate, as JB and Amy got up close and personal, despite Craig Revel Horwood criticising their lack of ‘connection’.
Appearing on spin-off show It Takes Two tonight, the pair reflected on the routine, with JB revealing his wife, Chloe Tangney, gave him permission to play the character and get into the romantic zone with his dance partner.
‘I can’t even say it was approval. She just said, “You need to do this, this is what it is supposed to be, so do it”,’ he said of his wife’s instructions, having been married to fellow dancer Chloe for 10 years.
He added: ‘It is the most intimate dance, and I think that psychologically has its own thing.
‘I am a married man and I take that very seriously. I wanted to take the dance justice but also did the family proud.’
Last weekend marked Amy’s first time performing the rumba on the BBC dance show, as she returned this series following her breast cancer treatment.
The Welsh pro exclaimed that she ‘loved’ every second of Saturday night, before disagreeing with Craig’s comments about their chemistry.
‘My husband, the lovely Ben, was sat at home and was like, “She danced that with JB as though she was dancing with me”,’ she said.
‘He is a dancer himself. We felt really connected, so for the first time I am going to disagree with you there, Craig.’
JB went on to reveal his wife’s reaction when he went home that night, having survived another week out of the dreaded dance-off.
‘Honestly, I was like, “How can I be more connected than I was?” When I came home, Chloe was like, “I definitely felt like there was a connection – at one point I thought you were kissing.”
‘I was like, “No, no, I wasn’t kissing.” As you know, she is very supportive.’
JB has spoken previously about his wife’s support, sharing ahead of the launch of Strictly’s 20th-anniversary series that he had no fears of the so-called curse striking.
The Beat Again hitmaker has been married to backing dancer Chloe, 34, since 2014, having started dating in late 2008.
They also share two children: a son called Ace Jeremiah Gill, nine, and a daughter named Chiara Sapphire Gill, five.
Speaking to MailOnline, JB said he and Chloe have ‘incredible communication’ and his Strictly stint ‘will not change’ that.
‘We communicate incredibly well and we’ve always said that’s one of the keys to a very successful and strong relationship, let alone marriage,’ he began.
‘For us, this is not gonna change that at all.’
‘To be honest, I probably have the best wife that you could have, for any contestant doing this show, because she comes from that world,’ he added.
‘And although she wasn’t a ballroom dancer, we both understand what goes into it. We know that it’s not easy and it’s going to be difficult. She gets it, she’s been on tours herself.
‘She’s obviously had to partner with other people, that’s just part of the world. So she’s very excited for me.’
Of course, it wouldn’t be a series of Strictly without some sort of romance rumours, right?
This year, reality star and podcaster Pete Wicks, 35, has been caught up in speculation that he and his partner, Jowita Przystał, 30, are much more than friends.
Two weeks ago, fans believed they spotted the Towie alum kissing the Polish professional during their American smooth.
Their social media posts are also regularly flooded with comments ‘shipping’ the two, while judge Shirley Ballas has heaped praise on their undeniable ‘chemistry’ on the dancefloor.
However, as the competition heads into its fifth week, Pete has expressed his frustrations at the relentless theorising about his love life, telling best pal Sam Thompson on their podcast that, while he can’t complain about the attention, it’s not all to be believed.
‘It’s been the same narrative for 11 years non-stop,’ he vented on Staying Relevant, adding that his Strictly stint is very different to the usual ‘late night dating shows’ he often appears on, as this has a much more family-friendly vibe.
‘And yet you wake up on a Sunday morning and it’s stories that haven’t even happened.
‘For example, during the choreography, there’s a story been going around for two weeks saying me and Jowita kissed during the dance… everyone watched it on TV!
‘They called it a “passionate kiss”, it’s the choreography, and we didn’t.’
This weekend, Pete and JB switch as the renowned lothario and 2022 glitterball winner Jowita will take on a rumba to Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis.
Inevitably, all eyes will be on the hot singletons as the nation watches them dance the famously passionate style, while JB and Amy tackle a lively jive to Outkast’s Hey Ya!
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6:25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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