Saturday marked a huge night for viewers across the country as Strictly Come Dancing's live shows returned to screens. While the celebrity line-up dazzled under the spotlight, one contestant drew particularly unexpected attention – Ross King, ITV's LA correspondent for Lorraine and Good Morning Britain. And it wasn't just his cha-cha with Jowita Przystał that got people talking. What really sparked interest was the rare public appearance of his girlfriend, Bridget, who was spotted cheering him on from the audience alongside his sister.
A surprise appearance
After performing the cha-cha to Katy Perry’s California Gurls with professional partner Jowita Przystal, Ross chatted to Claudia Winkleman ahead of the judges’ scores. "It's so lovely that my girlfriend flew all the way, 5000 miles. I said, 'Come tonight, Bridget, because there might not be too many of these," Ross joked.
© BBCThe cameras then panned to Bridget in the audience, smiling proudly in a black dress as she sat next to Ross’s sister, Elaine. Claudia quickly quipped back, "Don't say such a thing! They were cheering throughout, you were perfect." For many viewers, the on-screen moment came as a surprise, with some unaware that the presenter was in a relationship.
Ross's romance
While little is known about the couple's relationship and how they first met, it seems the Strictly star is smitten with his partner. Speaking on the How To Be 60 podcast, host Kaye Adams asked Ross if he planned to stay living in LA. He said: "Oh yeah, I love LA. Who knows what happens in the future, but it would take a lot to take me away from LA. I love the place. I've got a great life there. I've got a beautiful, lovely girlfriend Bridget. We have a great time there. So it's very much home."
© BBC/Guy LevyHis romance with Bridget comes after his divorce from Brianna Deutsch, which was finalised in 2022 following seven years of marriage. He was also previously married to actress Charley King from 1999 to 2006.
Future plans
A self-confessed "believer in love", Ross said in a previous interview that he wouldn't rule out getting married again. According to The Sun, Ross said: "It's certainly not one of those things, having been married twice before. Either I'm really bad at it or I could be really good at it in the future, I don't know. It depends which way you look at it: The glass is half full or the glass is half empty. But no, no, no, I'm a great believer in love. I feel very fortunate with Bridget that I've found someone who is just absolutely brilliant in every way, so I'm very very fortunate."
