BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Montell Douglas' cheeky marriage remark amid 'curse'

Gladiators star Montell Douglas made a cheeky joke about marrying pro dancing partner Johannes Radebe after host Claudia Winkleman complimented her stunning white laced dress on last week's episode

Gladiators star Montell Douglas stepped off the dance floor looking like a blushing bride.

The gold medal Olympian impressed Strictly Come Dancing judges after performing a stunning Foxtrot routine to Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby by Dinah Washington alongside her pro dancing partner Johannes Radebe. The duo scored a respectable 26 points, ranking joint third in the leaderboard with Go Compare star Wynne Evans and Katya Jones.

Ahead of their performance, Montell, who used to be the British record holder for the 100 metres, was complimented by host Claudia Winkleman for her stunning white and translucent laced dress. Johannes was also sharply dressed, sporting white shirt, cream waistcoat, and pin-striped trousers.

"Well, we are getting married," Montell joked, sparking laughter amongst the crowd and fellow cast members. Claudia quickly joined in on the quip, stating: "You're all invited."

The marital joke comes amid resurfacing rumours about the 'Strictly Curse', where hopes of scooping the acclaimed Glitterball Trophy and gruelling rehearsals somehow creates a lustful environment that sparks romance amongst celebrity contestants and their pro dancing counterparts - even if they're already in a relationship. Stars involved in the alleged curse have all refuted claims that the show has caused their relationship to end.

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Off-screen, Montell has secretly been suffering with a debilitating health condition that ended up hospitalising her. The Gladiator star, 38, experiences heavy and irregular periods (Dysmenoorhoea) which are accompanied with pain so severe she would often be forced to skip training sessions.

Montell was prescribed strong pain killers to try and quell the symptoms, but ended up forgetting to take the tablets a few years ago and ended up being sent to hospital by ambulance and put on a drip. "My body just started convulsing, and I was almost passing out, because the pain was so intense," she told The Irish News, describing the incident as a 'wake-up call'.

"I was overheating because of the hormones – my body couldn't control its temperature, and that in turn made me dehydrated. The pain was in waves, coming in like contractions." Now, Montell says her condition is much 'more manageable' in terms of pain and that she has confidence the condition won't take over her life. "It's something I can manage, rather than it managing me," she added. If you're worried about your flow's heaviness, you can find help here.

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