Sunday night (December 13) will see the final of Strictly Come Dancing, with three celebrity couples still in contention to win the glitterball trophy.
Bobby Brazier, Layton Williams and Ellie Leach are still in with a shot of winning the BBC dancing show, as they prepare for their final dances. The eventual winner will go on to join the likes of Rose Ayling-Ellis, Bill Bailey and Stacey Dooley to name just a few.
But the first ever winner of Strictly Come Dancing was news presenter Natasha Kaplinsky, who was working for BBC News when she triumphed in the show’s first series in 2004. Since then, Natasha has had a life unto itself, filled with colour and fun that pales in comparison to her day job as a journalist.
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So, as the results of the Strictly Come Dancing final edge closer, Daily Star looks at Natasha Kaplinsky’s life and the huge events in her life.
Strictly “affair”
(Image: BBC)
When Natasha was aged 36, she was signed up to take part in the BBC’s newest competition, a little show called Strictly Come Dancing. Then working at BBC Breakfast, Natasha had pleaded with bosses not to ask her to do the show, later saying she was forced into taking part.
But amidst the glamour and sequin costumes she wore whilst on the show, one thing did blossom – a growing relationship with her partner Brendan Cole. Throughout her time on the show, many viewers and judges alike saw the chemistry between the pair and it was not long before rumours the pair had been getting up to more than just training began to swirl.
Brendan, who had been engaged to fellow professional Camilla Dallerup at the time, ended up splitting from her after she cottoned on that he had started falling for his partner. A decade after the incident, Camilla would open up on the pain, saying that she had been left “broken” as the pair became closer.
Years after Natasha and Brendan’s win, Cole would admit that “something” did happen, but it would never be classed as an affair. He added he refused to cross any lines with Natasha, but insisted: “I didn’t have an affair, Camilla chose to leave. Once you do something like that, it’s not an affair.”
Dicing with death
(Image: PA)
In 2019, Natasha joined ITV’s Loose Women to speak about her horrific brush with death as she opened up on a horrific boating accident that nearly killed her. Whilst on a holiday with her family one year prior, the boat that the group was on seemingly exploded.
In her first interview about the incident, Kaplinsky fought back tears as she recounted the horrible story. As it later turned out, a leak in the fuel pipe had caused the explosion, which left Natasha and her family with burns.
Breaking down in tears, Natasha revealed: “There’s nothing worse than being a mum and seeing your child injured. It was just one of those moments where I thought I couldn’t bear it.”
She later revealed that thanks to doctors and therapists, everyone was able to make a full recovery. “We were all airlifted home and it was all very, very traumatic at the time,” she explained.
Awkward tumbles
(Image: ITV)
Four years on from retelling her terrifying ordeal, Natasha would return to the Loose Women panel in March 2023. Joining the show as a guest to talk about taking in Ukrainian refugees, she was welcomed onto the studio floor with a rapturous applause.
However, things went pear-shaped when the 50-year-old seemed to trip down the stairs and stumble live on-air. The studio audience was left aghast as she steadied herself, with Loose Women rushing to ask her if she was okay.
Luckily for Natasha, there were no face-plants on the ground, as she was able to recover herself well. Ever the professional, Kaplinsky regained her composure as she sat down on the panel, quipping: “Mind the step, I didn’t fall.”
The final results for Strictly Come Dancing will air on Sunday on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
