Bake Off star and Strictly Come Dancing runner-up John Whaite made headlines in August after revealing that he fells in love with his dance partner, Johannes Radebe, while they competed together on the hit competition - and that he and his fiancé took some time out after the show.
Johannes has previously also opened up about his love for John, admitting that he was in love with his former dance partner in an interview back in 2022. Let’s take a closer look at their relationship…
John and Johannes were the first ever all-male pairing on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021, and opened up to HELLO! about their decision to dance together, with John wasn’t too sure about at first over concerns about homophobia.
Speaking about his partner, Paul Atkins, and his reaction, he explained: "He told me, 'Don’t do it if you feel that way.' My emotional well-being was all that mattered to him and that’s one of the things I love most about Paul. Deep down I knew that doing Strictly was the right thing to do. It was time to flick the switch and, as Jo says every day, go for gold."
© Brett Cove/SOPA Images/ShutterstockJohannes added: ""There was no doubt in my mind that the dance side of it would work, but I was scared of the reaction it could bring. I thought criticism would come from all sides. After speaking to my therapist I realised what was holding me back was still feeling ashamed. Despite my fear, I couldn’t let this opportunity go to anyone else."
The pair instantly delighted the judges and viewers alike with their incredible performances, and fans were thrilled when they made it to the final, coming second to Giovanni Pernice and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
The pair also commented on the "intimate" process of the competition, with John explaining: "When you spend ten hours a day, five-six days a week with someone, you expect there to be a lot of clashing, but we didn’t. We always spoke very honestly about how we both felt, if there was something I was anxious about in a dance or if there was something I wasn’t getting. We had a few cross words, let’s face it, we’re human beings, we fell out once or twice, but we didn’t let it get us for long."
After the show, Johannes revealed that he had fallen in love with John during the months of their partnership. Speaking on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, he explained: "I have fallen in love with my art form again because of John. The opportunity to be so creative with what we had to come up every week. I was trying to figure things out as I was going along. Not once did he make me feel otherwise.
© Photo: BBC"In my moments of doubt, John just stood by me and waited for me to figure it all out. And I can't tell you that patience, I'm in love with the man. And I know he's a married man - soon to be - but let me tell you something, people come into your life and you just don't know how you've been doing without them this entire time.
"And that has been John for me, a really, really lovely lad. I can't tell you, he's the nicest person you’re ever gonna meet in your whole entire life."
John recently echoed this sentiment in a candid interview where he explained that he and his partner Paul had to take some time out after the show, explaining to The Times: "I fell in love with him. I can't speak for him – because I'm not allowed to, legally – but it felt like there was love there. So yes, I fell in love with Johannes. I still love Johannes. Of course I do."
"All the way through, me and Paul discussed it. Paul of all people deserved to understand how I was feeling. You go through life being told that you'll fall in love with someone, you'll get married, you'll have children and that's it. But love can't just be directed to one person. The heart can easily split into two or three or four. And those loves aren't mutually exclusive."
© Photo: BBCHe added: "I look at Paul and what he's put up with over the years and how he’s nurtured me and stood by me, and who would throw that away? I couldn’t."
John also touched upon whether they are in contact now, adding that they speak occasionally, but not too much for his fiancé’s sake. "If it would be tricky for Paul for me to be in contact with Johannes, then it's a sacrifice that I have to make," he said.
