Kara Tointon is at "breaking point" with her boyfriend Artem Chigvintsev after becoming jealous of his raunchy routines with current Strictly Come Dancing partner Holly Valance. According to the UK's Sun newspaper, Artem has left the couple's London home and moved in with fellow pro Robin Windsor.
Friends of the couple were first to reveal the rows, saying, "They've been having a terrible time together and decided they needed some space. The stress of the show has been getting to Artem as it's a tough gig with numerous rehearsals that fill up his day". The couple began dating after they danced their way to victory on the talent contest last year, but Artem was paired with Australian beauty Valance for the most recent series. Kara has reportedly been overcome with jealously, but show insiders insist there is nothing going on between Artem and Holly, with one source saying, "Holly is besotted with her bloke, Nick. She wouldn't dream of spoiling that. She loves dancing with Artem but that's as far as it goes.Artem has moved back to their shared home and they're trying to be civil with each other". A spokesperson for the former Eastenders star played down the speculation, saying, "They are very much together".
Following her departure from the soap in 2009, Tointon landed the role of Eliza Doolittle in the West End production of Pygmalion. The 28-year-old gained rave reviews for her performance, with the UK's Guardian newspaper writing, "Tointon gives an extremely assured performance. starting wilfully determined, she becomes an ardent learner, and ends up rebelliously independent".