Simon Webbe has revealed the unusual request he made of TV bosses before signing up to Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 - and it turns out it was for a very good reason.
The Blue singer made it to the final five years ago - but lost out on the Glitterball trophy to Love Island host Caroline Flack and her partner Pasha Kovalev.
But, being mindful of the so-called Strictly Curse that has torn many couples asunder over the years, Simon was determined his stint on the show wouldn't be rocked by scandal.
"My experience on Strictly was one of the best I've ever had, that’s because there was none of this scandal," he told Express Online.
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"I take my hat off to Strictly over the years but I just don’t know what it's doing now, to be honest."
Simon, 41, went on: "I'll tell you a secret: what I did say when I was approached to do the show, I said, 'Listen, I'm single at the minute.
"'Please do not put me with a dancer who's in a relationship because I do not want to be a part of a man that is breaking up a home. There's just no way.'"
Simon was eventually paired with professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff, who had split from Joe Calzaghe the year before, and was yet to make her romance with Ben Cohen public.
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"They agreed and they put me with Kristina, who was single at the time," Simon went on, "so it was great. We had no drama."
The singer added: "I want to dance. It's my one opportunity to experience something incredible that nobody from my culture would ever really get the chance to do.
"I don't want to break up a home."
His request comes after Strictly 2018 winners Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton caused controversy when their romance bombshell dropped last month.
Stacey dumped her long-term boyfriend Sam Tucknott just weeks before going public with three-times-married Kevin, who was branded a "snake" by the hurting ex.
