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Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace: former 'Strictly' stars on how they are reuniting for London's most glittering pantomime

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Vincent Simone has revealed he has never seen a pantomime – even though he is starring in one this Christmas. The Argentine Tango world champion makes his confession during an exclusive interview and photoshoot with HELLO! magazine, during which he teams up dance partner Flavia Cacace-Mistry to talk about their new stage roles, brushes with royalty and the so-called "Strictlycurse". The pair will star as the King and Queen in Snow White at the London Palladium alongside stars including Dawn French and Julian Clary – but Vincent admits this is new territory for him. "You know, I’ve never seen a panto in my life," he tells HELLO!. He and his former Strictly co-star, who were a couple for 11 years, are still professional partners and the best of friends, even though both are married to other people and Flavia has invited Vincent to spend Christmas with her and her husband, actor Jimi Mistry, if his wife Susan and their two sons can’t make it to London from their home in Northern Ireland.

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Vincent and Flavia spoke to HELLO! ahead of their new venture together

"If his family can't make it over, we’re there for him," she says. Vincent and Flavia's own romance didn't last the distance, but when asked about the "Strictlycurse" she says: "I’d love to say a witch cast a spell on it but it just isn’t true. People push themselves out of their comfort zones and do drastic things so that they can move on. They need something to punch them in the face and snap them out of their regular lives. If they were in a happy place, they wouldn’t let that happen."

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WATCH: Vincent and Flavia share Strictly secrets

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The couple also tell how the Duchess of Cornwall once suggested they teach the Prince of Wales the tango and reveal Flavia has a “soft spot” for the Duke of Cambridge. "I’ve always liked him," she says. "He comes across as a genuinely nice guy. I reckon he would be great at the tango."

READ: The real reason Karen Clifton was crying on Strictly Come Dancing

For information on Snow White at the London Palladium visit snowwhitepalladium.com. Previews are from 8 December and it runs until 13 January.

To read the full interview, pick up the latest copy of HELLO!, out Monday 19 November