Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ricky Whittle has made explosive claims that BBC producers deliberately manufactured a romantic storyline between him and his professional dance partner during the 2009 series.
The 'Stitched Up' Allegations
The 45-year-old actor, best known for playing Calvin Valentine in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, has accused corporation bosses of manipulating footage to suggest he was romantically involved with professional dancer Natalie Lowe.
In a revealing interview with the Daily Mail, Whittle detailed how producers allegedly edited together clips of him and Lowe holding hands with romantic background music to create the illusion of a blossoming relationship.
The timing of these manufactured moments proved particularly damaging for Whittle, as he had recently split from his longtime girlfriend and Hollyoaks co-star Carley Stenson weeks into the competition.
Manufactured Romance for Ratings
Whittle claims the BBC deliberately positioned him and Lowe as 'the romantic couple' of the 2009 series, which saw them finish as runners-up to TV presenter Chris Hollins and his partner Ola Jordan.
'The BBC totally stitched me up, they manipulated a romance, they fixed it so that we were the romantic couple,' Whittle told the publication.
He recalled specific instances where producers would ask him leading questions about Lowe during interviews, such as 'Was seeing her the best part of your day?' before editing his responses with soft music to create a romantic narrative.
'They knew what they were doing,' Whittle stated. 'Other couples were the ones who argued, but Natalie and I were the romantic couple.'
Life After Strictly and Hollyoaks
Since his Strictly appearance and subsequent departure from Hollyoaks in 2011, Whittle has successfully transitioned from British soap opera to Hollywood productions.
His most notable role came in the Neil Gaiman adaptation American Gods, where he played the lead character Shadow Moon, though the series has since been cancelled.
More recently, he appeared alongside Russell Crowe in the 2024 action thriller Land of Bad.
When asked about any regrets regarding his decision to leave Hollyoaks, Whittle humorously remarked: 'As I look out of my balcony windows with my sprawling gardens and pool on to a valley of mountains and sunshine, I wish I was back in the Liverpool rain!'
He added more seriously: 'I loved working on Hollyoaks and I still have friends back there. There's such a stigma about soaps but they're the best education you could ever want as an actor.'
The BBC declined to comment when approached by Metro about Whittle's allegations.
