Sophie Ellis-Bextor has spoken out after her past comments about her time on Strictly Come Dancing resurfaced, amid the ongoing investigation the show is currently facing.
The Murder On The Dancefloor singer competed on Strictly back in 2013, making it to the final alongside her professional partner Brendan Cole.
However, in 2021, she admitted in her memoir Spinning Plates that her Strictly experience wasn’t the easiest, particularly as it affected her relationship with her husband, fellow musician Richard Jones.
“Supporting me in all that I do usually came so easily to him, but with Strictly I think he was just waiting for it to end,” Sophie wrote, claiming she’d paid a “heavy price” for appearing on Strictly.
“He’d message me all day when I was rehearsing, extra keen to know my schedule. We would argue when I was home about how distracted I was and about whether I’d get through to the next week.
“He just felt as if I might slip into a new life that left our family behind. I had no such desire, but was too spent at the end of the day to give the reassurance he needed. I think the only real reassurance could come with the show finishing.”
She also disclosed that husband began counselling around a month into the competition, which she said “really helped” the situation.
“Perhaps I should have, too,” she pondered.
In a follow-up interview, Sophie claimed that “a little bit of emotional support” from the show would have “definitely improved my experience”.
Amid the ongoing drama of which Strictly is currently at the centre, severalmediaoutlets republished Sophie’s old comments about her time on the show, prompting the chart-topping star to speak out.
“This week there’s been a resurfacing of a chapter in my autobiography Spinning Plates where I talk about my time in Strictly,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Richard put it so well in his post on the subject, I wanted to share it. He wrote the post three years ago, but the words still ring true.”
She then reposted Richard’s old comments about his wife’s time on Strictly, which read: “I’ve had a lot of messages regarding the press stories about how Strictly affected our marriage when Sophie was a contestant back in 2013. It’s all good – it was eight years ago and we’ve had two more kids since then!
“I encouraged Sophie to be open about it in her book because it’s in the past now and we feel that there’s a lot that could be made easier for couples if the show gave them more support. During the show I was often sat in the bar with the partners of other contestants and most were going through similar difficulties to me.
“It’s a very surreal experience and such a big show that I couldn’t get away from it all – I was out trying to promote The Feeling’s fourth album Boy Cried Wolf at the time and all anyone wanted to talk to me about was if I was worried my wife would leave me. It begins to wear you down.”
Richard added: “The therapy I had really did help a lot though and took the pressure off so Sophie could focus on the show and enjoy it – which she really did. I hope that comes across too.
“I really do encourage anyone who’s struggling with something, anything at all that becomes overwhelming to ask for help. Even speaking to a friend can make a big difference.
“Strictly is a very happy memory for both of us now. We made great friends, Sophie was incredible on the show and I couldn’t have been prouder. It really is very attractive to see your wife looking so beautiful on the dance floor and remember – she went home with me at the end of the night! Ultimately it actually brought us a lot closer together. No regrets!”
Earlier this week, the BBC’s director general Tim Davie apologised publicly to any celebrity whose time on Strictly wasn’t a “wholly positive experience”.
The broadcaster has also announced new measures will be introduced during this year’s series, intended to “strengthen welfare and support” behind the scenes.
