Camilla Kerslake, wife of former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, found herself at the center of a storm after commenting on the skill disparity among Strictly Come Dancing contestants. Her candid remarks, sparked by a fiery exchange on social media, have left her reeling from the backlash and regretting her outspokenness.
Robshaw, 39, made his debut on the Strictly dance floor alongside professional partner Nadiya Bychkova, but their performance landed them near the bottom of the leaderboard with a modest 14 points. The first live show exposed the stark contrast between contestants, with some—like Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope and Love Island’s Amber Davies—bringing prior dance experience to the competition. Both joined the line-up as last-minute replacements, adding fuel to an already heated debate about fairness.
The controversy erupted when Love Island’s Amber Gill commented on Camilla’s Instagram post, calling out the advantage held by contestants with dance training: “Unpopular opinion: I think having people with so much dance experience is unfair.” Camilla didn’t hold back, replying, “The experience differences are absolutely wild. Definitely.” Her words, however, ignited a firestorm she hadn’t anticipated.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Camilla expressed deep regret for her comments. “I hope my big mouth won’t get Chris in the bottom two,” she admitted. “I was furious last week, a protective wife, and I wanted to climb over the desk and give Craig [Revel Horwood] what for.” Her fierce loyalty to her husband, who she says is pouring his heart into the competition, drove her to speak out. “I’m so protective of my husband. I know how hard he’s working, how much this means to him, and I reacted,” she added, visibly shaken by the fallout.
The drama surrounding Strictly this season extends beyond the dance floor. The so-called “Strictly curse”—where celebrity contestants reportedly form romantic connections with their professional partners—has loomed large. Aware of the rumors, Camilla took proactive steps to forge a friendship with Nadiya Bychkova, Chris’s dance partner, to ensure a drama-free experience. Chris, unfazed by the speculation, addressed the curse with humor in an interview with The Sun: “Surely if people think there’s something going on between us, we must be doing something right. Nadiya and I are a team, both totally focused on the dancing and giving it our all week by week.” Married for a decade and parents to two sons, Wilding and Hunter, the couple remains rock-solid.
The debate over dance experience continues to stir the pot. Amber Davies, a West End performer, and Lewis Cope, a runner-up on Got To Dance, have faced scrutiny for their backgrounds. Defending herself, Davies said, “I feel like I know they will be like, ‘She’s trained.’ Yes, I did train in musical theatre, however, I am a beginner when it comes to ballroom Latin dancing. So I feel like I will be starting from scratch. I mean, I’ll give it my all.”