Seann and Katya 'must do Strictly dance of shame'

Seann and Katya are dancing The Charleston on Saturday night

Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood says contestant Seann Walsh and his professional partner Katya Jones should do "the dance of shame" on Saturday.

The couple apologised after they were caught kissing in public - Walsh had a long-term girlfriend and Jones is married to another dancer on the show.

"My take was keep them in the show, make them do the 'dance of shame,'" Craig told ITV's Jonathan Ross show.

"Get on with the job and show people what you're made of," he added.

"It's really important that if this does happen to you, you face up to it and you... as they've done, apologise... and show people, 'Ok, this is what I did, I've been employed to do this job, I'm going to... get on with it and do it well and do it professionally.'"

The rumba is one of Craig's favourite dances

Asked about the so-called 'Strictly curse', which claims the BBC One show has caused several relationship break-ups, Craig said "there has to be something wrong in your relationship" in the first place for it to go off the rails while on Strictly.

Fellow judge Darcey Bussell concurred: "I danced for over 20 years in the Royal Ballet and I'm still happily married."

Craig said he had wanted to see Seann and Katya do the rumba, which is thought to have been their original dance for this Saturday.

"I wanted to see the rumba, the dance of love, I'm sure everyone wants to see that. That's one of my favourite dances, as well."

Shirley Ballas joined the Strictly panel last year

Asked whether they could see any chemistry with Seann and Katya in particular, Craig said: "There was a mild improvement [in their dance last weekend] from the week before but I would not put that down to a snog at the back of a pub, if that's what you're asking. I would put it down to hard work and having to act through the dance and tell that story."

The judges were asked whether they felt the public might vote Seann and Katya off the show following the controversy.

Head judge Shirley Ballas said: "I would like to think that they judge the dancing and not the relationship or anything else, that it's purely down to what they see on a Saturday evening and that they judge the dancing."