Former Strictly Come Dancing star Ian Waite has confirmed his split from husband Drew Merriman.
Reports of the couple's separation began circulating earlier this week, with fans speculating that their marriage was impacted by the infamous Strictly "curse".
In a statement to The Mirror, Ian has now confirmed that he and Drew decided to end their relationship because they weren't "compatible".
"My split with Drew was nothing whatsoever to do with any so called Strictly 'curse'," he said of the breakup.
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"It was more about us having different outlooks on life and what relationships should be like, which meant we were not compatible. I wish Drew and his new partner all the best for the future," he added.
In 2017, Ian and pilot Drew tied the knot in a romantic ceremony held in the 18th-century Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey. Many of Ian's Strictly co-stars were in attendance, including judges Anton Du Buke and Craig Revel Horwood.
News of the couple's split comes after Drew shared a series of pictures with his new boyfriend Jon McMahon to commemorate the end of Pride month.
"I get to be me, and do all of this with the most incredible man by my side," he wrote on Instagram.
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"It was just a normal day at work, until it wasn't. We started talking and everything just seemed to fall into place.
"You are the most incredible person I've met. You were there through everything I go through. We laugh together, we cry together and I'm so lucky that I can call you my boyfriend.
"After some of the most difficult years of my life you have made things make sense, and made me know what I want and where I want to be in this world."
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Ian joined Strictly's professional ranks in season 2 and stayed until season 7. He then appeared in the show's dance troupe during season 8 before leaving the series.
During his time on the show, he notably finished runner-up with former heptathlete Denise Lewis, before reaching the final a year later with Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball.
In 2023, Ian joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars Australia, where he reached the final with actress Virginia Gay.
Strictly Come Dancing will return later this year on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
