Judge Robert Rinder gets "tingles" whenever Darcey Bussell speaks to him.
The 40-year-old star – who is openly gay – has had a crush on the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge for years and even after weeks on the show, he still blushes whenever they meet backstage.
He admitted: "I was at Darcey’s last performance of ‘Song Of The Earth’ at the Royal Opera House nine years ago, before she retired as a ballerina, so when she says hello to me now, I blush from head to foot.
"I’m such a huge fan. Even backstage, I’m like a shy schoolboy.
"She called me ‘cute’ when I was dressed as a caveman. I felt myself going beetroot. I got the tingles."
Robert has faced a lot of criticism from judge Craig Revel Horwood, but he poked fun at the panelist for his obsession with his facial expressions.
He told Closer magazine: "As long as he says constructive things I don’t care.
"The poor darling seems to be more upset with my facial expressions, but I can understand why that is.
"I’ve said it before and it’s true – it must be very challenging to see someone with s much facial range as me. Also, it’s been a while since he’s had that suppleness."
Though all the contestants have forged a strong bond, the ‘Judge Rinder’ star has grown particularly close to Olympian Greg Rutherford, 29.
He said: "I adore Greg. He’s the type of guy you wish was your big brother – you know he would stand between you and a bully. All the contestants are on a big WhatsApp group – it’s really funny. I hope we all go out for dinner when this has finished and I really hope to go on a trip with Greg and his family."
Judge Rinder gets ‘tingles’ over Darcey Bussell
