Strictly star mugged in Central London AND in broad daylight as ‘traumatic’ ordeal leaves them ‘scared and helpless’

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This week, a celebrity from Strictly Come Dancing was the victim of a daytime robbery in London. The incident left her feeling frightened and powerless.

As a fervent admirer of Michelle Tsiakkas, the graceful 29-year-old professional dancer, I found myself hurrying off to the dentist one crisp morning, my heart pounding with anticipation for the day ahead. However, my excitement was abruptly halted when a mischievous hand snatched away the precious device that held all my cherished memories of Michelle’s performances – my phone!

Michelle shared in her video: “It took me a few days, but I think I’m starting to get over it now. That experience was extremely distressing when it happened.

Spending an entire day on something left me feeling dreadful, frightened, powerless – it’s a situation I wouldn’t wish for anyone else.

I lost my phone today, something that I had never expected to happen. It’s odd how common such incidents are, yet they always seem far-fetched until they actually occur.

Michelle, having been with Strictly for the past three years, stated that a cyclist snatched her phone in Covent Garden.

The brunette explained: ‘So it was early morning. I was on my way to the dentist in London.

I found myself near Covent Garden, which meant the area was quite tranquil. It seemed like I might have been the lone individual there, making me perhaps an attractive target. I pulled out my phone to check the directions and locate my dentist’s office.

While I was standing on the street where the dentist’s office was located, suddenly a man on a bicycle whizzed by from behind me, snatched my phone as he went past.

‘He took my phone, and as he sped away on an electric bike, my heart dropped. In an attempt to retrieve it, I stumbled and fell to my knees on the ground, scraping my knee.’

It seems like my initial reaction was to curse and demand the return of my phone, but it’s obvious that approach didn’t succeed. I guess you already figured that out.

It’s impossible for me to identify who it was, as he had a mask on and sped away swiftly on an electric bicycle, making it impossible for me to chase after him.

It’s fortunate that I encountered two kind and supportive ladies, as they noticed I appeared troubled.

Michelle received an outpouring of support from caring fans and her Strictly dance family, including a comment featuring love heart emojis from fellow professional dancer Nancy Xu.

Previously, BBC executives paired Michelle with Jamie Borthwick, a troubled actor from EastEnders, for their first joint celebrity project last year.

Previously this year, news emerged that Michelle’s boyfriend, Simone Arena (aged 33), will be part of the professional dancers in the dance competition, partnering with the celebrity participants.

The Italian dancer has experience with the Strictly format, having performed as a professional in the Belgian, Italian, and Irish adaptations of the program before.

Hailing from Catania, Italy, Simone has been a professional dancer since his youth, earning the title of Vice Italian Latin Champion at the tender age of sixteen.

Apart from that, he has graced stages on the Broadway touring production of Burn the Floor. Moreover, in 2019, it was revealed that he would be joining the cast of Somnium: A Dancer’s Dream alongside popular Strictly Come Dancing stars Katya Jones and Neil Jones.

In 2021, Simone became a part of the Strictly international series, triumphing in the Belgian adaptation of the program alongside artistic gymnast Nine Derwael.

In the Irish adaptation of the dance competition, he teamed up with the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Blu Hydrangea, along with actress Yasmin Seky from the show Kin.

According to a source, Simone left the Strictly Come Dancing producers astonished during his audition for the role of a new professional dancer on the program.

I’ve had the privilege of dancing on the Strictly stage before, representing the professional side in various international editions, including Belgium, Italy, and Ireland.

Simone is quite popular within the professional circle, and his girlfriend, Michelle Tsiakkas, thoroughly enjoyed her experience on the show last year.

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2025-06-28 20:20