Ricky Whittle has accused Strictly Come Dancing producers of inventing a fake romance between him and his professional partner during his time on the 2009 series.
The actor claims the BBC deliberately edited footage to suggest he was developing feelings for dancer Natalie Lowe, even though he was already in a serious relationship.
Whittle, now 45 and best known for his role as Calvin Valentine in Hollyoaks, says show bosses “stitched him up” by manipulating interview clips and crafting misleading video packages to create a storyline that didn’t exist.
He made the allegations as he prepares to return to the UK next month for a charity football event, having lived in Los Angeles since 2012.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Whittle said producers pushed a narrative that he and Ms Lowe were the “romantic couple” of the series, despite it being entirely fabricated.
According to Whittle, they asked leading questions about Natalie—such as whether seeing her was the highlight of his day—and then stitched his comments together with gentle, romantic music to imply something more was happening.
“They took what I said about her being amazing and cut it together in a way that created a whole mood,” he told the paper.
He further claimed that producers even staged scenes of him and Natalie holding hands and set them to romantic music — all while he was still dating Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson.
Whittle said the production team deliberately crafted specific “story roles” for each partnership, insisting: “They knew exactly what they were doing. Other couples argued, but Natalie and I were made into the romantic couple.”
Whittle went on to place second in the 2009 final, losing to sports presenter Chris Hollins.
His stint on the show also coincided with the end of his relationship with Stenson, who had initially been supportive of his time on Strictly.
Their breakup later became one of the most referenced examples of Strictly’s infamous “curse.”
Natalie Lowe, who danced with Whittle throughout the 2009 series, remained part of the Strictly professional lineup until her exit in 2017.
Despite his criticisms, Whittle acknowledged there were positive parts of his Strictly journey. He spoke warmly of the late head judge Len Goodman, crediting him with offering genuine encouragement and support behind the scenes.
Following his departure from UK television, Whittle went on to establish a thriving acting career in the US, landing roles in American Gods, The 100, Nappily Ever After, and the 2024 action film Land of Bad.
He is set to return to Britain on December 15 for Game4theChildren — a charity football match hosted at QPR’s Loftus Road to raise money for Shelter and the club’s Community Trust.
Whittle will play alongside fellow celebrities including comedian Russell Howard, Ted Lasso actor Phil Dunster, and former Strictly contestant Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
Football greats Clarence Seedorf and Claude Makélélé are set to lead the opposing sides, with stars such as Ronald de Boer, Jaap Stam, Louis Saha and Mark van Bommel also confirmed to take part in the charity match.
As for Whittle’s claims, the BBC has so far declined to comment.