Davood Ghadami brushes off ‘Strictly curse’ concerns

EastEnders star Davood Ghadami has brushed off concerns over the so-called “curse” of Strictly Come Dancing, and has said his wife is used to him being in intimate situations on screen.

The actor, who is partnered with Strictly newcomer Nadiya Bychkova in the current series, has also told of how his children have been voting for his dance floor rival Jonnie Peacock to succeed in the show.

Asked about the Strictly curse, which has seen marriages and relationships ruined when celebrities fall for their dance partners on the programme, Ghadami told ITV’s This Morning that he is just doing his job.

He said: “For me, as an actor, I’m in intimate situations all the time. My wife is kind of used to all that happening.

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“I really do like to separate it, as much as it’s difficult with Strictly… going home, being with the kids, and then going to work on this show.”

Bychkova said that her partner – Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot – has no qualms about her being in close proximity to another man either.

She said: “I’m a professional dancer. He knows how it works, so he saw me dancing with other dancing professionals and he’s absolutely alright with it.”

Ghadami married his wife Isobel in 2010, and the pair have two young daughters whose loyalties – he said – lie elsewhere.

He said they are big fans of Paralympic athlete Peacock, and that they “see him as a superhero”.

Ghadami, who plays Kush Kazemi in EastEnders, added: “They want to give him at least one vote for every three votes they give me.”

This weekend, the couple will dance a rumba, which Bychkova said is one of the most difficult dances for a male performer.

She said: “It’s not an energetic dance, it’s very calm and still – there are so many things going on to make it look right.”

Ghadami added that to the “untrained eye”, it looks like “there is not a lot going on”.

Last week, the pair danced a jive and scored 22 points from the judges, a week after facing elimination when they landed in the bottom two.