Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev was teased about the show’s ‘curse’ by host Cat Deeley during Tuesday’s episode of This Morning.

For years, the BBC show has sparked many off-screen romances between celebrities and their professional partners, with some even leaving their spouses to pursue these relationships.

Pasha, 44, who left Strictly in 2018 after eight years, was paired with his now-wife Rachel Riley, 38, in 2013.

A month after they were eliminated from the competition, they revealed that the ‘Strictly curse’ had struck and Rachel was leaving her husband, Jamie Gilbert, for a new life with Pasha.

During the latest installment of the ITV show, Pasha was joined by former co-stars Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite on the sofa as they all team up for a ‘legends of the dance floor’ tour.

+17
View gallery

Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev was playfully teased about the show’s ‘curse’ by host Cat Deeley during Tuesday’s episode of This Morning

+17
View gallery

For years, the BBC show has sparked many off-screen romances between celebrities and their professional partners, with some even leaving their spouses to pursue these relationships

But as they chatted about the glitz and glam of their new shows, the topic of conversation soon swiftly moved on to Strictly – which launched on Saturday night.

During the segment, Pasha said: ‘Obviously the celebrities coming now, they’ve been exposed to all of the success of the show what has happened before – they want to do better, they want to push themselves to the next level.’

But Cat interjected with a cheeky remark as she chipped in: ‘They want to get a husband and two children.’

This was a sneaky nod at Pasha finding love with former celebrity dance partner Rachel.

Since their blossoming romance, they tied the knot in 2019 and have welcomed two children together.

Seeing the comical side to comment, Pasha quipped: ‘That happens once in a blue moon!’

The chat then shifted to their thoughts on Strictly’s recent controversy regarding bullying and rehearsal treatment with celebrities.

When asked about the recent show crisis, James said: ‘It is sad of course because it is a family show.

+17
View gallery

Pasha, 44, who left Strictly in 2018 after eight years, was paired with his now wife Rachel Riley, 38, in 2013

+17
View gallery

A month after they were eliminated from the competition, they revealed that the ‘Strictly curse’ had struck and Rachel was leaving her husband, Jamie Gilbert, for a new life with Pasha

+17
View gallery

During the latest installment of the ITV show, Pasha was joined by former co-stars Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite on the sofa as they all team up for a ‘legends of the dance floor’ tour

+17
View gallery

But as they chatted about the glitz and glam of their new shows, the topic of conversation soon swiftly moved on to Strictly – which launched on Saturday night

‘We love the show, I watch with my four year old daughter. She loves the show. So it is sad.

‘These are two isolated incidents apart from that, if you speak to the most people, 99 percent that have done Strictly have had such an amazing experience.

‘So we are talking about two incidents over 20 years and it is such a shame it happened during crucial moment in the Strictly history.

‘The show is amazing and I think it will come for many more years to come. I still love watching it. It’s just a shame.’

Their comments come just weeks after Pasha said Strictly bosses need to ‘re-establish rules’ in order to save the series amid it’s ongoing misconduct scandal.

The beloved BBC series is currently embroiled in controversy over how the professional dancers teach the celebs, with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour.

Pasha’s wife Rachel claimed her experience left her with PTSD and likened it to a ‘hostage situation’.

He said he’d never witnessed any inappropriate during his stint, but conceded to The Mirror: ‘I guess in every office in the country you’d have one or two bad apples, and when it comes to it, it needs to be dealt with’.

He continued: ‘The rules need to be regulated, or revisited, and the atmosphere should be re-established where people are trusting one another, people are positive and working together to create a better show – delivering a better product, and entertaining people. It’s entertainment for Christ’s sake – it’s supposed to be fun.’

+17
View gallery

During the segment, Pasha said: ‘Obviously the celebrities coming now, they’ve been exposed to all of the success of the show what has happened before – they want to do better, they want to push themselves to the next level’

+17
View gallery

But Cat interjected with a cheeky remark as she chipped in: ‘They want to get a husband and two children’

+17
View gallery

It comes just weeks after Pasha said Strictly bosses need to ‘re-establish rules’ in order to save the series amid it’s ongoing misconduct scandal

+17
View gallery

Pasha’s wife Rachel claimed her experience left her with PTSD and likened it to a ‘hostage situation’

+17
View gallery

The beloved BBC series is currently embroiled in controversy with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour towards celebs (Amanda Abbington pictured)

‘There is no reason to have a break, in spite of all this controversy and ­discussions lately. It needs to be addressed, to be fixed, people need to be listened to for a proper creative, celebratory atmosphere.’

Rachel, with whom Pasha shares two daughters, said of her PTSD in April: ‘I got PTSD following Strictly. A lot of people who have done it can relate. It’s like a trauma bonding, hostage situation, not with your partner but with the show.

‘You love doing it and it’s so much fun, you get all of the endorphins from the training and achieving something just being in the moment.

‘All you’re supposed to be doing is learning this dance, that’s all you’re doing, you haven’t got any distractions, you haven’t got to do the washing, check your phone, you haven’t got to do anything else.

‘By the end of the week, you’ve achieved it and done it and you’ve got that gratification.

‘The dancing thing was quite scary and it brings up a lot of emotions. Each year Pasha would do it, I would remember what happened my week and all of the emotions and that and then the next person, I would be over empathizing and each year was layers of memories and I didn’t enjoy it.’

‘I know from my time on it, 11 years ago, even the most sane, solid, grounded people, it can do something to you,’ she added as she spoke at the Inspiration Awards For Women at The Landmark Hotel in London.

‘And there’s so many people that I’ve seen in subsequent years that have that shared experience. I don’t think even production are aware of quite what it does to people.

+17
View gallery

Pasha previously said he’d never witnessed any inappropriate during his stint but ‘you have one or two bad apples’ (pictured with Rachel on the show)

+17
View gallery

He continued: ‘The rules need to be regulated, or revisited, and the atmosphere should be re-established where people are trusting one another’ (pictured winning the show with the late Caroline Flack in 2014)

+17
View gallery

Rachel said of her PTSD: ‘I got PTSD following Strictly. A lot of people who have done it can relate. It’s like a trauma bonding, hostage situation, not with your partner but with the show’

‘When I was doing it, I was recommended CBT, and I think that’s actually been really great.’

CBT is a talking therapy that can help patients manage problems by altering the way they think about them.

It’s often used to treat anxiety, depression and PTSD and focuses on improving a person’s state of mind.

A course of treatment with an NHS therapist can usually be between six and 20 hour-long sessions.

The Strictly scandal erupted in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show just five weeks in.

Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, a has made a series of accusations about Giovanni’s teaching methods and has described his behaviour as ‘unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean’. He strongly denies all of the claims.

In one interview, Amanda compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’ telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’.

+17
View gallery

The Strictly scandal erupted in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice (both pictured) of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show

+17
View gallery

Then, in July, it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott

Then, in July, it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for ‘kicking’ his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.

A Strictly source said: ‘Graziano’s abuse was ongoing, he kicked and hit her. There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal but all of it was dreadful.

‘There were occasions where he did some terrible things, it really was awful. What he did makes Giovanni look like a pussy cat.’

Graziano has since claimed he does not know the full particulars of what he is supposed to have done.