Last year’s Strictly Come Dancing winner Kara Tointon has warned Harry Judd that the key to winning the BBC series, is in being prepared each week.

The McFly star told Buzz magazine that he has been getting tips and hints from the former Eastenders actress, and said that she asked him:

“Have you done any preparation?”

He explained:

“I told her I hadn’t and she was like: Well, you need to.”

Listen to the pro Harry!

And it’s not just the contestants that get nervous, presenter Tess Daly admitted that she panics each weekend too, adding:

“Every week the panic sets in when we’re waiting backstage and I get the countdown in my ears.”

“And although Bruce looks outwardly calm, he does get butterflies too. He said to me: You wouldn’t be human not to get jitters before a life show!”

Could have fooled us!

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing 2011: Kara Tointon tells Harry Judd to be prepared on Unreality TV

We watched them fall in love week after week of dancing with each other, and now it seems that Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvinstevare planning to take the next step in their relationship, and move in together!

It unfolded like a fairytale before our very eyes, and made their mesmerising dancing, which saw them win the show, so much more enjoyable and hypnotic, but critics were very pessimistic over the future of Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvinstev.

The age old scenario of developing feelings for someone with whom you work with is understandably intensified when the environment with which you work in sees you dancing and acting in love with your partner and the magic normally stops when the performances do. In most circumstances reality takes over and the staged romance comes crashing down, but it would appear that ex Eastenders actress, Tointon, and professional dancer, Chigvinstev, have proved the odds wrong!

The couple have found a north London apartment to share, and although Tointon has been reported to say that they are ‘happy being happy’ and ‘not looking to rush into anything’, she has hinted in an interview in OK magazine that marriage may be on the cards.

“I dream of getting married one day, but at the moment we’re just happy being happy.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would love to. But my parents never married and are still together. I would rather have a nice life together than worry about a silly date.” Tointon told the magazine.

She had said in a previous interview, “I knew pretty quick that I’d met someone special. We were getting to know each other and I thought ‘God, I really like him’.” When the couple finally went public after the final of Strictly, after saying that they would not take their relationship to the next level until the show had finished to avoid complicating things and risking their on screen chemistry.

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon to move in with Artem Chigvinstev? on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon has admitted that she couldn’t help falling for her former Strictly Come Dancing professional partner, Artem Chigvintsev.

The former Eastenders actress claims that she tried not to get involved with the Russian star while competing on the BBC reality TV show, but was unable to resist him, because he was so ‘amazing.’

She told the Daily Mail: “I was just wowed by him entirely. But I also thought, ‘Please don’t put me with him because I can’t have a relationship with my dance partner’. I was so against it in my head thinking, ‘No, no, no’… but he’s such an amazing person – what can you do?”

She added: “[He] makes me a better person… It was all so surreal, rather like a fairy story.”

Tointon also revealed that she and Artem shared their first kiss during a trip to the cinema adding:

“We had a kiss when we came out. But even though I really liked him, I put my sensible hat on.

“Imagine if we’d started dating while doing the show and then something happened but we had to be together because of Strictly. It wasn’t until after the final we got to relax and spend really lovely time together.”

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon was wowed by Artem Chigvintsev on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon has admitted that she found it very “tough” when she was apart from her boyfriend Artem Chingvintsev.

The former ‘EastEnders’ actress – who started dating the Russian hunk last year when they won ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ together – recently joined Lorraine Kelly and Olly Murs on the gruelling 100-kilometre BT Red Nose Desert Trek in Kenya and admitted that the hardest thing was being away from her loved ones.

n on the couple’s relationship.

She said: “I think I found the heat the most difficult part of the trek, and for me not talking to my family or Artem was really, really tough – but I’m so pleased I achieved it. I’m so proud of myself.”

However, the 27-year-old star explained donning comfortable trekking gear was a welcome break from the sparkles and sequins she was used to on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Kara added to Hello! magazine: “I feel like a new woman! I’ve been wearing glitter and sequins for the past seven months and I was nervous of being stripped of my little luxuries.

“I conquered it and I’m really chuffed. I’ll go home and think about material things and whether I need as much as I’ve got. And roughing it has been quite funny!”

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon missed Artem Chingvintsev during Comic Relief trek on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon is said to be struggling in the Kenyan desert, as she tries to complete her Comic Relief trek

Nadia Sawalha admitted that the Strictly Come Dancing winner dissolved into tears during Day 2 of the Red Nose Day challenge, as she struggled to cope with the 102 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures during the morning 13 kilometre walk.

Mirror columnist Dancing On Ice star Nadia told The Mirror:

“Kara got really tired and was emotional.

“You hear about it happening to people in a marathon when they well up.

“She just started to well up and when she got out here she never thought she would be able to do this.

“For an hour she found it very hard and there were some tears under her sunglasses but she did brilliantly and then she pushed on.

“We are suffering and some of the group think they have made the trek so hard that they don’t want us to finish.”

X Factor star Olly Murs is also finding the trek difficult, and admitted that the walk is getting harder each day.

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon struggles on Comic Relief trek on Unreality TV

Kerry Katona has insisted that she and her Dancing On Ice partner Daniel Whiston won’t be the next big reality TV couple.

The troubled mum of four – who narrowly avoided being eliminated from the ITV series last week, after competing in the skate off against Comedy Dave Vitty – has spoken out and said she will never get involved with anybody on Dancing On Ice….especially Dan!

Writing in her column in OK! magazine, Kerry said:

“Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvinstev still seem to be going strong after their romance on Strictly Come Dancing, but can reality show romances last? I don’t know.”

“I’d never like to get involved with anybody on Dancing on Ice, especially my skating partner, because when the show finishes the excitement ends and you go your separate ways and it can get tricky.”

The mum of four added: “I wouldn’t be able to perform on the ice in a relationship either.”

We bet Dan just breathed a huge sigh of relief!

View the original post Dancing On Ice: Kerry Katona & Dan Whiston won’t be the next Kara Tointon & Artem Chigvinstev on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon has revealed that she will travel between the UK and America with her new boyfriend Artem Chigvintsev.

The Strictly Come Dancing winner fell for the hunky Russian dancer, when they were put together for the BBC show last September. They are currently performing on the UK wide tour but when it ends, Kara will follow Artem to LA, where has landed a few dancing jobs.

The former Eastenders star told The Mirror:

“I am having my house done in London at the moment but we are not sure where we will be living.

“Artem has his visa thing and he does some work in LA so I guess we will have to go to LA and back and see how it goes. Work will take us wherever it takes us.

“The only other thing we definitely know is he will be here for the next series of Strictly. So it is nice to know that he will be in England for that.

“It was such an unexpected thing meeting Artem. It always happens when you least expect it.

“I was against it and really didn’t want to have one of those romances on a show but then you can’t help it if you meet someone amazing.

“Now I feel really lucky and I am not going to regret anything at all. It has just been fantastic. Long may it continue, fingers crossed.”

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon will travel to LA with Artem Chigvintsev on Unreality TV

Strictly Come Dancing champion Kara Tointon has admitted that she and professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev are still very much loved up.

The former Eastenders actress – who guest stars in new supernatural drama Bedlam – told The Sun’s Buzz magazine that she is dreading the end of the Strictly tour, when she will no longer see Artem every day and no longer be able to eat whatever she wants!

Asked about her relationship with sexy Artem, Kara said:

“Fantastic. We’ve been doing the Strictly tour together. I’ll be devastated if I stop dancing, because it’s a great way to stay in shape and I can eat anything I want.”

She also admitted that since taking up dancing, she has dramatically increased the amount she eats. Tointon added:

“My sister [The Inbetweeners star] Hannah noticed I’ve been eating more and said: ‘You know you don’t have to eat everything Artem eats?’ I heard that a whole night of intense dancing can burn 10,000 calories, so I’ve been eating like an elephant.”

View the original post Strictly Come Dancing: Kara Tointon says relationship with Artem Chigvintsev is ‘fantastic!’ on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon has revealed that she is still great friends with her ex-boyfriend Joe Swash, but admitted that they don’t spend a lot of time talking about her new relationship with Artem Chigvintsev

The Strictly Come Dancing winner has been dating the Russian dancer since late last year, he has even been to meet her parents and family. However, the beauty admitted that if she and Joe want to remain pals, they had to agree not to discuss their respective romances.

‘Joe and I are very good mates,’ Kara, 27, told Now.

‘We always will be.

‘We tend not to talk to each other about relationships, so I suppose it was a bit of a shock when he read about Artem and me because I hadn’t told him myself.

‘But I think if we want to remain friends we just don’t go there.’

Joe, 29, admitted that he was ‘hurt’ when he discovered Kara was with Artem and stopped watching Strictly as he couldn’t bear to see them together.

However, Kara claims that they are over the issue now and added:

‘We get on really well and after he did that interview we spoke and had a joke about it.’

‘It’s always awkward with an ex.’

View the original post Kara Tointon doesn’t discuss Artem Chigvintsev with Joe Swash on Unreality TV

Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev have missed a number of recent Strictly Come Dancing tour dates, because both fell ill with a debilitating viral bug.

The couple, who won the 2010 series of the reality TV show are thought to have missed five shows over the past two weeks, due to a bout of gastroenteritis.

The ex-EastEnders actress took to Twitter to tell her followers:

“Was sure we’d def make it today but the doctor said no . Definitely feel back to the land of living today , just wish we were there (sic).

“We want to get back to the tour . Miss everyone so much and hate not being there. Got there yesterday but Artem has lost so much weight…..And just going to take some time for him to feel normal and strong. dramatic and annoying for both of us but fingers crossed 4 tonight !!!”

Tointon earlier admitted that her friends and family had travelled to one of the shows she was forced to pull out of. She wrote:

“Really upset , all my family and friends were going last night and today. So sorry we’re not there xxx.

“After being in bed for 2 days watching Artem try to walk today is funny . He can’t! Thank u for incredible get well tweeds , was so nice… Just upset that we didn’t get to see everyone at Wembley on Friday and then not to do O2 at all! Sorry to everyone xx.”

A Strictly spokesperson has claimed that Tointon and Chigvintsev “are expected to dance again tonight in Liverpool.’

View the original post Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev miss Strictly Come Dancing tour on Unreality TV