Craig Revel Horwood has blamed Katya Jones for "allowing" her kiss with Seann Walsh "to happen".
Craig Revel Horwood
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge has compared the pro dancer and the contestant's recently exposed smooch to a "teacher snogging a student", and believes the 29-year-old performer - married to fellow pro dancer Neil Jones - is more to blame than the 32-year-old star, who has since been dumped by his girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.
Craig said: "I think I would put the ball in Katya's court, she should not have allowed it to happen. One, she's married, number two, he was in a relationship that is no longer, I'm talking as Craig Revel Horwood, this is not the view of the BBC, let me say.
"It's a teacher snogging the student. It's not the first time in anyone's life, but these things do happen in real life."
The pair came under fire from several fans of the Latin and ballroom show who called for them to quit the programme after their kiss was exposed, but Craig believes they were "brave" to remain in the competition.
He said: "I thought they were brave to come back on the show and do their dance of shame, as I put it.
"If you snog someone at the Christmas party that you shouldn't have, like your boss, if you still want the job you've got to turn up on Monday, even if there are imprints on the photocopier or whatever.
"You've got to face the music and dance, and they did and I'm glad they did because they are there to be professional.
"Let's not forget they are being paid to do the job, both of them."
Craig also hit back at critics of the show who claimed before the latest series had got underway that it would be the "worst year ever".
Speaking on 'Loose Women', he added: "People said it was going to be the worst year ever and it's turned out to be one of the best, and it's been in the press a lot recently."
Seann and Katya both made public apologies after they were pictured snogging during a night out, and claimed the act was a "one-off mistake", but his girlfriend Rebecca took to Twitter to reveal she had dumped him.
The pair returned to the dancefloor on Saturday night (13.10.18) to perform a Charleston routine and despite being the favourites to leave the competition, they avoided the dreaded dance-off, with Katie Piper departing the series.
Seann is now the 5/1 fourth favourite with bookie William Hill to be eliminated from the show this weekend, behind Ranj Singh (3/1), Kate Silverton (4/1) and Charles Venn (9/2).
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