Sophie Ellis-Bextor Discusses Marriage Struggles Post-Dancing

Sophie Ellis-Bextor revealed that her husband Richard Jones required counseling after her participation in the 2013 season of Strictly Come Dancing, where she partnered with Brendan Cole. Despite describing Cole as a 'complete gentleman,' Sophie shared that Richard felt sidelined and insecure, struggling with her physical closeness to her dance partner from the show's launch. In her memoir, Spinning Plates, Sophie detailed how Richard's distress grew, making him overly fixated on her whereabouts and leading him to spiral when he didn't receive timely responses to his texts. She noted that the lack of emotional support for contestants contributed to the strain on their marriage, a sentiment echoed by other couples during her season, which saw multiple relationship breakdowns. Richard sought counseling about a month into the show, which helped alleviate some of his anxieties. Sophie emphasized the need for better emotional support for participants, stating that the pressures of the competition often left partners feeling neglected.