karim © Photo: Getty Images

Strictly's Karim Zeroual makes it clear that there is no romantic connection between himself and Amy Dowden

The CBBC star is in a long term relationship with girlfriend Poppy Birtwistle

Online Writer
December 14, 2019

Since the start of their Strictly journey, professional dancer Amy Dowden and her celebrity counterpart Karim Zeroual have been dogged by romance rumours. In November, CBBC star Karim set the record straight, telling Best magazine: "There's nothing going on between me and Amy. I have a girlfriend." The 25-year-old added that any chemistry caught on camera is simply down to the fact that the pair are good friends. Karim and Amy have made it through to the Strictly Come Dancing final, and will battle it out on the dancefloor on Saturday.  

WATCH: Katya Jones & Mike Bushell play Hello/Goodbye!

Karim, who is best known for being a CBBC host, added that although there wasn't a romantic connection between himself and Amy, the two were very close. The young star continued: "But Amy and I are really good mates – a bit too good. We tease each other constantly, and it goes a bit far, and she nags me a bit – but look, it's all out of love."

MORE: Strictly's Karim Zeroual: what TV shows has he starred in?

Karim said that he and Amy are just close friends

Karim has been spotted out and about with Poppy a few times since starting his Strictly journey, and Poppy has also shared lots of sweet snaps of her boyfriend on Instagram, including one of herself backstage at Elstree Studios, where Strictly is filmed. In October it was revealed that Poppy is a 19-year-old student at Manchester University, and that the adorable pair have already celebrated an impressive three anniversaries together. 

MORE: Strictly's Amy Dowden responds to claims she and Karim Zeroual were undermarked

Poppy has even met Karim's dance partner Amy, proving there is no bad blood between the two. In September, Poppy shared a number of photos following the very first live Strictly show, including one of her posing with Karim's dance partner Amy, and another showing her and Karim with Amy and her fiancé Ben Jones. Alongside the images, Poppy wrote: "I could literally burst with pride." It seems as though it's good vibes only as far as Karim, Poppy and Amy are concerned! 

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Keep up to date with all things Strictly, from the backstage gossip and romance rumours, judges ' verdicts and exclusives

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more