STRICTLY Come Dancing fans have been buzzing with speculation over the lack of chemistry between Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal during their appearance on It Takes Two.

The duo were rumoured to have a possible off-screen romance during the first few weeks of filming.

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So fans were surprised to notice an unusual distance between the duo during their interview on the spin-off show.

The pair appeared downbeat and maintained a noticeable gap between them on the sofa, prompting viewers to wonder if the romance rumors have put pressure on their partnership.

Observant viewers flocked to social media to dissect the interaction, with many pointing out their “awkward” body language.

One person wrote: “Pete and Jowita did not look comfortable together tonight and there was definitely a gap between them on the sofa.”

A second queried: “What is up with Pete and Jowita? They look distant and awkward.”

Someone shared their opinion, saying: “Can’t blame them with the romance rumours which Pete has said is utter nonsense.”

Another person added: “Yeah that has probably ruined their whole experience, Jowita is not her bubbly self.”

Pete responded to speculation that there might be a spark between him and Jowita, when he was asked about it on a podcast hosted by Olivia Attwood.

He later confirmed that there is no romance between them during an appearance on This Morning when he was questioned about their relationship.

He told Alison Hammond: “No, it’s not a love bubble, we have great chemistry because we’ve become such good friends.”

Since then Pete has also been linked to Maura Higgins, which could be another reason why he seemed distant from Jowita on It Takes Two.

Pete was recently snapped snogging the Love Island star while out and about in London.

While both stars have remained tight lipped about the budding romance, Maura did confirm they have a connection, saying: “We just get on very, very well. I adore him, he’s an amazing person.

“Do you know what’s so weird? We met very soon after me coming off Love Island and we just instantly clicked. 

“Our humour is the same. It’s like that sick, dark humour. It’s very abusive. We abuse each other. Very nasty, it’s hilarious.”

Strictly Curse – The Lowdown

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s latest series has already been hit by rumours of a BBC show ‘curse’ – yet what is it?

A host of Strictly Come Dancing stars have been struck by the Strictly Curse during the past two decades.

This is where celebrities who may or may not be attached in the outside world become more than friends with their professional partners.

A total of 20 relationships are said to have been impacted so far over the show’s 20 years.

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It has seen relationships crumble with dance floor romances and punishing rehearsal schedules to blame.

This includes the partnerships of Louise and Jamie Redknapp as well as Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer.

Controversially, Judge Craig Revel Horwood once said of the curse: “I think of it as a blessing, to be honest. One person is married, the other one had a girlfriend but my point in this entire thing is: if you come on Strictly, sometimes you are in a relationship that is not working anyway.

“There has to be something wrong in your relationship before it all goes awry.”

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Series one winner Brendan Cole left his fiancé, fellow Strictly professional Camilla Dallerup, during filming for the very first series in spring 2004. 

Brendan was said to have fallen for his celebrity partner and inaugural winner Natasha Kaplinsky, although the duo didn’t confirm they were romantically involved.

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Karl Pilkington has been “vindicated” by a new report about monkeys and William Shakespeare.

On Friday (1 November), a study into the Infinite Monkeys Theorem, which claims that an endless number of primates would be able to type out the works of Shakespeare if given an infinite amount of time, suggested that this thought experiment is “potentially misleading”.

As an example, the two Australian mathematicians who conducted the study claimed that the time it would take these primates to write out Shakespeare’s many plays and sonnets would last longer than our universe.

The findings of the study have since gone viral on social media, with the BBC writing: “Monkeys will never type Shakespeare, study finds.” In response to this, a flurry of comments have pointed to remarks once made by Pilkington in a conversation with Ricky Gervais.

In a 2014 clip that’s being widely shared online, Gervais says to Pilkington: “They say an infinite amount of chimps with an infinite amount of typewriters will type the complete works of Shakespeare, and you couldn’t grasp that.”

Pilkington, keeping a straight face, replied: “It wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t happen – and I think you know it wouldn’t happen but you say it would, to annoy me.”

Gervais interjects: “No, it works by definition because it’s the nature of infinity,” to which an unimpressed Pilkington fires back: “It doesn’t matter.”

Many are saying Pilkington has been “vindicated” by the new study, with one person stating: “Hey @rickygervais, I think you owe Karl Pilkington an apology!”

“Justice for Karl Pilkington!” another fan wrote.

For their study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Franklin Open, mathematicians Professor Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta from the University of Technology Sydney based their calculations on the heat death hypothesis, in which the universe expands to the point that it can no longer sustain life.

“The Infinite Monkey Theorem only considers the infinite limit, with either an infinite number of monkeys or an infinite time period of monkey labour,” said Professor Woodcock.

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“We decided to look at the probability of a given string of letters being typed by a finite number of monkeys within a finite time period consistent with estimates for the lifespan of our universe,” he said.

HOME stays are usually part of the experiment where people who have been coasting through are slapped with reality in the face.

They’re usually like ‘Oh my god I don’t like this person enough for them to be in my home’…

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And it seems like that did happen to a few of the remaining couples on the show last night.

In Thursday’s diary instalment I spoke about how I think that Kieran needs to just dump Kristina, and I still think exactly the same.

And I really thought the situation with Lacey’s family and Nathan was beyond strange…

If you are as obsessed with Married At First Sight as I am, you need to keep reading, as I’ve got some thoughts…

Lacey and Nathan

I’m sorry but I just felt like I shouldn’t have been watching half of that.

It all felt very performative.

I think that they are a very sweet couple, but the family situation, why is your mum and sis and dog getting in the bed with you and your husband.

Her mum flirting with Nathan was too much for me. It was too performative and it was maybe a bit creepy.

Adam and Polly

Adam was really passive aggressive when he was walking Polly through his home.

Then when his friend came round it just gets worse.

He’s walking around saying ‘I like to sleep on my own, I don’t have wardrobe space for you’, giving the girl every hint that he doesn’t want this to work on the outside.

Then his friend comes over and it just gets worse.

You know when you’re younger and you’re showing off in front of your friends and you’re being mean to your parents?

That’s the energy that Adam is giving me.

Polly starts to talk about how she did initially switch to Stephen, she regrets that and just wants someone who is more emotionally available…

Adam sat there with a face like a slapped a**e and is fuming.

And his mate sat there like ‘Why are you reacting to her like this?’

I did feel sorry for Polly.

When we see Polly’s home stay, she’s keen to project it’s going well.

Whereas Adam did not care to project that to his family or friends at all.

He’s not making any effort to sweeten their relationship and that is so telling as to where they see the relationship going.

Adam doesn’t think its going to last, Polly is still clutching on.

Ross and Sacha

Their home stay was really cute.

We saw Ross reunite with his daughter, Sacha got emotional, but it’s like both of them don’t want to move.

This is what really annoys me about this experiment.

It’s not called Married At First Sight in your home town – there is every possibility that you will be matched with someone completely at the other end of the country.

Sacha’s dad was quite terrifying, saying ‘You’re not moving, you’re staying here’.

Ross and Sacha are definitely nowhere near as strong as they were.

I think it’s happened since he threw his wedding ring.

Sneak peek of next week’s episode

We see Amy find her voice!

There’s something going on with Luke – Arthur used to be like this.

No shade to Arthur, but the group loved him, and then behind the scenes he would just tell lies.

He played up to whoever he was with, much like they’re accusing Luke of doing.

If this is the case, I can understand why she’s going to lose her rag with him.

It doesn’t scream authenticity and makes you think that they were there for the fame.

Arthur was very honest that he wanted a modelling contract.

Kristina and Luke

Kristina’s home stay will be an interesting one. It’s kind of giving Rozz and Thomas from last season.

We all know how that went for them…

They decided to leave the experiment after so I wonder if Kristina being reunited with her family, the heartbreak will hit home and say she can’t do it anymore.

Kieran needs to face the music.

If you’re inviting Kristina into your home and don’t see it going anywhere, you just need to rip of the plaster and end it.

The girl has suffered enough!

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Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz will take over Carol Vorderman’s Sunday slot on LBC on a permanent basis.

The 63-year-old former Countdown star said she would not continue with her radio show last month after suffering “burnout” from working seven-day weeks.

In a video posted on Instagram, Vorderman said she had a “tight feeling in my chest and I was utterly exhausted”, but after many scans and checks, her doctors found no underlying health issues.

Vorderman, who joined the station in January, explained that she was taking the health scare as a “warning sign to slow down slightly”, adding that she has “decided to cut my work back to weekdays for now”.

“I am very fed up about it, but I have made the decision that I can no longer do my Sunday show on LBC, which is a very hard decision to come to but I couldn’t see anything else I could do,” she said in the Instagram video.

It has now been announced that Feltz will be replacing her. Feltz joined LBC in May and presents a Saturday afternoon show where she offers her opinion and analysis on topics that matter to the British public.

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The Loose Women star and former host of The Vanessa Show, said: “I can’t wait to be a weekend appointment to listen to. I’m looking forward to holding Britain’s biggest and most spirited conversation with my lovely LBC listeners every Saturday and Sunday afternoon.”

Tom Cheal, LBC’s senior managing editor, said: “Vanessa has quickly made her mark on the LBC schedule since she joined the station in May.

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“She is a genuine, straight-talking and incisive broadcaster who has proved incredibly popular with LBC listeners and knows what really matters to them, so we are excited to announce her new Sunday show.”

Speaking to The Independent in a recent interview, Feltz credited her longevity in radio to the fact that she remains interested in what people have to say.

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“I don’t see why you’d still speak to people if you weren’t curious about what their answers might be. ‘What’s happened?’ ‘What’s got to be done?’ ‘What’s going on with you?’ ‘Why are you so angry?’ Often you hear people interviewing and they couldn’t care less. But I really, really want to know!” she said.

Vorderman joined LBC in January to front her Sunday programme from 4pm to 7pm. Her appointment came two months after she left her BBC Radio Wales show, stating that she was “not prepared to lose my voice” after the corporation introduced new social media guidelines.

Vorderman was vocal in her criticism of the previous government on social media and has had several arguments on X/Twitter with Tory MPs. The TV personality said management decided that she should give up her Saturday morning show on Radio Wales over a breach of the new guidelines.

With additional reporting from PA

KESLEY Parker has revealed her late husband’s Tom Parker’s parents support her new relationship with aspiring musician Will.

The influencer went Instagram official with her new boyfriend in September, two years after The Wanted singer’s death.

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The mum tragically lost Tom in March 2022 after he died aged 33 of an incurable brain tumour.

Kelsey and her new boyfriend, a tree surgeon called Will met earlier this year and have been a part of each other’s lives over the past few months.

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, the podcast host said her social media followers have been incredibly supportive and so have Tom’s parents, Noreen and Nigel.

She said: “I’ve got such an amazing village and even with Tom’s parents Noreen and Nigel.

“They have supported me with whatever I’ve decided to do and they understand how hard it is.”

She said Will lost his dad when he was 21 and “understands what we’re going through”.

She continued: “It’s about finding happiness and with friends and family there is only so much they can do. It’s lovely to have someone to offload to.

“I was lonely and I’m 34 now. I was so lonely. I just wanted someone and now I’ve met someone.”

The star urged critics to respect her choices, asking for more “kindness”.

Reflecting on how her perfect life was turned upside down, she said: “I had the perfect life. Tom was a pop star, you know, who wouldn’t want to be with a pop star?

“And, you know, my life has been to flipped upside down, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.

“So I just think as well, a little less judgment, a little more kindness. You’ve not lived my life, you’ve not walked a day in my shoes.”

Kelsey previously told The Sun she met Will through friends on a night out.

She said: “I just met him authentically when I was out, which is what I always wanted to do.

“I was just out with my friends, and we met, and it’s really nice. I’m so happy.”

When asked who made the first move, she added: “I think it was a mutual feeling between us.

“Obviously I wasn’t expecting to find anyone, and he’s literally just swept me off my feet.”

Kelsey also believes that Tom sent him to her.

“I definitely think he’s very special and I do feel like Tom had a little sprinkle of magic in me meeting him,” she confessed.

Tom was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2020 (a noperable stage 4 glioblastoma) and given just 18 months to live.

He later underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy.

Before his death he was undergoing treatment in Spain and also managed to perform on stage with the rest of his bandmates.

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To celebrate 20 years of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC dancing competition has launched a brand new theme: Icons Week.

It’s a pretty special occasion given that Strictly has kept its themes limited to Halloween Week and Musicals Week throughout its two-decade-long history.

Icons Week will see couples dance to music by stars who have defined musical history, such as Whitney Houston, Shirley Bassey and Queen.

The BBC has already teased that the professional dancers will be performing a Beyoncé medley, featuring Johannes Radebe channelling his inner Sasha Fierce.

Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas, who were at the top of the leaderboard last week, will dance a Samba to “Faith” by George Michael, while Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, who were joint top of the leaderboard with Borthwick, will perform a Couple’s Choice to “What About Us” by P!nk.

Meanwhile, Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will dance a Tango to “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS and Gladiators star Montell Douglas and Radebe will perform a Waltz to “I Will Always Love You”  by Whitney Houston.

Amy Dowden won’t feature in Saturday night’s show after falling ill backstage during filming last week. Fellow pro dancer Lauren Oakley will instead dance with Dowden’s partner, JLS star JB Gill, performing a pre-planned Couple’s Choice to a Bruno Mars Medley.

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This week’s show will be without Dr Punam Krishan, who was eliminated last week alongside her pro partner Gorka Márquez, in a tense dance-off  opposite Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu. Krishan’s exit follows the departure of footballer Paul Merson, who departed two weeks ago, as well as Toyah Willcox, Nick Knowles and Tom Dean, who all left the competition in its earlier stages.

Find the full list of songs and dances for Icons Week below:

Chris McCausland and Dianne will dance a Tango to “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS

Jamie Borthwick and Michelle will dance a Samba to “Faith” by George Michael

JB Gill and Amy Dowden’s stand-in Lauren will dance a Couple’s Choice to a Bruno Mars Medley

Montell Douglas and Johannes will dance a Waltz to “I Will Always Love You”  by Whitney Houston

Pete Wicks and Jowita will dance a Salsa to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen

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Sam Quek and Nikita will dance a American Smooth to “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift

Sarah Hadland and Vito will dance a Cha Cha to “Like a Prayer” by Madonna

Shayne Ward and Nancy will dance a Quickstep to “Help!” by The Beatles

Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz will dance a Couple’s Choice to “What About Us” by P!nk

Wynne Evans and Katya will dance a Rumba to “This Is My Life” by Shirley Bassey