Strictly Come Dancing came under the spotlight once again on Thursday when it was reported that a married male star who competed on the show in recent years had been videoed kissing his professional partner. However, around the same, former Strictly star HRVY, who reached the final in the 2020 series of the show, had split from his famous girlfriend, former Emmerdale star, Mimi Slinger. The singer confirmed the quiet breakup on his TikTok page, alongside an image of himself deep in thought.
The short clip was captioned: "I'm now single… I blame that Vogue article." The Vogue article that HRVY, 26, referenced was published on 25 October and was titled: "Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?" The article explored the recent trend of women opting to 'soft-launch' their relationships, with announcements often featuring the back of hands or heads or even blurred photos.
Author Chante Joseph wrote in the article: "So, what gives? Are people embarrassed of their boyfriends now? Or is something more complicated going on? To me, it feels like the result of women wanting to straddle two worlds: one where they can receive the social benefits of having a partner, but also not appear so boyfriend-obsessed that they come across quite culturally loser-ish."
HRVY and Mimi's relationship
The former couple were first linked in 2021 after they met each other at the National Television Awards. The duo confirmed their relationship the following year when HRVY shared a social media post celebrating his partner's 19th birthday. The pair, who are thought to have been introduced by Romeo Beckham, were seen enjoying a lavish getaway at the time.
Speaking to The Sun in 2022, HRVY said that the duo were a great fit due to their respective careers in showbusiness. "It's all balanced nicely, actually," he told the publication. "She's in Ireland right now shooting a pilot for something, which is really cool. We get to see each other all the time. It's a nice balance and because we're both in the industry we both understand, so it's easy."
© TikTokThe singer said that the pair also enjoyed singing together, but was quick to add that it was unlikely the pair would collaborate on any releases. "She sings as well," he said. "We sing at home, but I don't think we'd ever release anything together. She loves to sing so we definitely do annoy everyone in the house."
HRVY, real name Harvey Leigh Cantwell, is a singer who rose to fame as a presenter, appearing on CBBC's Friday Download. He later started a music career, wowing fans in an episode of Got What It Takes?. In 2020, he was signed up to compete on Strictly Come Dancing in its slimmed-down line-up due to the COVID pandemic. The singer was partnered with Janette Manrara, and the pair made it to the final, before ultimately losing to Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImMimi, 22, is an actress who made her professional debut in 2017's Heidi: Queen of the Mountain, but her largest role to date was as Leanna Cavanagh in ITV soap opera, Emmerdale. The character was introduced in 2018 before being brutally killed off in 2021, becoming the first victim of show serial killer, Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu).
