Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were left stunned when Vanessa Feltz explained why she fell “deeply in love” with James Jordan “for at least a day” when they were paired together on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Radio 2 DJ, who appeared on the BBC ballroom show in 2013, admitted to seeing her dance partner in a different light than just a choreographical one during a phone-in on Tuesday’s This Morning.
After one viewer told of how her husband had learned to dance with her to help keep the spark alive in their marriage, Holly noted how “it works on Strictly”.
“Maybe dancing is the key!” she added.
Vanessa responded: “Exactly, it works a bit too well on Strictly. I do remember when James Jordan said to me, ‘I put my uh, uh on top of your fufu,’ I thought, ‘blimey’.”
Holly and Phil’s faces were priceless, as Vanessa continued: “For at least a day, I was deeply in love with him… the idea of his and mine… that whole thing in rhythm.
“Dancing is physical, active, sexy, you’ve got to look at each other and smoulder a bit. Everything about that is a good thing to do, everything is great.”
Vanessa and James were the second couple to be eliminated from the 11th series of Strictly.
The presenter, who has been with partner Ben Ofoedu since 2006, previously told of temporarily falling under James’ spell in her Daily Express column.
Writing in 2018, she said: “I lurched back to my senses, remembered I was on a TV show, gave myself a stern talking to and snapped back to being a grown-up.
“I must add it most definitely helped that my own Other Half Ben is not only hugely understanding but a bit of all right!”
However, Vanessa admitted she understood how the so-called “Strictly curse” can take hold, adding: “I don’t think you have to be unhappy in your relationship to fall victim to the Strictly curse.
“We are all susceptible to attention, the allure of another human’s unbroken fascination with us and the joy of melting into the outstretched arms of a gorgeous stranger who rapidly morphs into a treasured friend. You have to be strong to resist such an alluring combination.”
This Morning airs every weekday from 10am on ITV.