Zara McDermott reveals why she avoided the Strictly curse

Former Love Islander Zara McDermott opens up about her experience on Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing has long been associated with the infamous "Strictly curse" - the phenomenon where celebrities and their professional dance partners end up having romantic relationships. However, Zara McDermott, who appeared on the show, has revealed the very honest reason why the curse didn't hit her and her partner, Graziano Di Prima.

Unbreakable friendship

Zara McDermott, who is currently dating Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, couldn't understand how the Strictly curse could exist. In an interview on the Saving Grace Podcast, she said, "I can’t understand how there is a Strictly curse. I became really good friends with my partner." It seems that Zara and Graziano developed a strong bond during their time on the show.

Bickering like siblings

While Zara and Graziano didn't fall victim to the Strictly curse, Zara did admit that they had their fair share of disagreements off camera. "You very quickly become like brother and sister and you kind of have that bickery relationship," she said. It seems that the constant presence of cameras in the rehearsal room also played a role in preventing any romantic entanglements.

Not so different from the office

Zara also pointed out that affairs and relationships happen in the office all the time, so it's not surprising that they might occur on a show like Strictly. "For me, it was not the environment for anything like that to ever happen," she said. "I guess it has happened in the past, but people have affairs and relationships in the office all the time, so I feel like proportionately it probably doesn’t happen that differently."

Reunited after I'm A Celeb

Zara and Sam Thompson were recently reunited after Sam's stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Zara had been supporting him throughout the series and even hosted a celebration party at their home. The couple, who have been dating on-and-off since 2019, looked over the moon to be back together.