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Strictly friends with dance partner, says Joe Calzaghe
Last updated at 13:03pm on 18.09.09Boxing champion Joe Calzaghe today insisted his relationship with partner Kristina Rihanoff was 'Strictly' professional as the couple prepared for the new series of the hit celebrity dance show.
There had been speculation the pair were stepping out as well as tripping the light fantastic in rehearsals for the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing, which starts on BBC1 tonight.
Dance partners: Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Calzaghe, who recently split from his long-term girlfriend Jo-Emma Larvin, told BBC Breakfast he enjoyed being shown the ropes by Siberian dancer Rihanoff, but nothing romantic had come of it.
"We spend a lot of time together and we get on as well, so that's really good, and we really enjoy the training, and that's about it really. That's it," he said.
Bookmakers clearly think the retired Welsh super-middleweight can transfer his nimble footwork from boxing ring to dancefloor and have installed him as favourite to waltz off with the Strictly crown.
Rihanoff said the 37-year-old had picked up the steps quite easily.
"His footwork is pretty good, and I think you will see that tonight," she said.
"There's a lot of pressure on him, I think, but he's working hard and I hope it's going to be a really good night for us."
Calzaghe said he had had to work hard on his dancing posture to stop himself crouching as he would in the ring.
The 16 celebrity couples take to the dance floor for the first show of the new series tonight, and will go head to head with The X Factor for more than an hour on Saturday.
The two shows have occasionally overlapped by up to half an hour, although during the last series Strictly usually finished before its ITV1 rival began.
The BBC has abandoned Strictly's traditional Sunday night results show in favour of an extended Saturday edition, which is part of the reason for the clash.
Earlier this week Strictly waltzed into the record books as the most successful reality TV format of all time.
The new series will see stars including former EastEnder Natalie Cassidy and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood's estranged wife Jo join Calzaghe in battling it out on the dancefloor.
The series also sees former winner Alesha Dixon joining the judging panel, replacing choreographer Arlene Phillips.
