Strictly's Mollie and AJ set the record straight on those dating rumours

Strictly Come Dancing star Mollie King and her professional partner AJ Pritchard have poured cold water on the rumours they are dating, announcing unequivocally on ITV's This Morning that they are NOT together.

Presenter Phillip Scofield coyly put King on the spot about reports of their romance without directly asking the question – reminding her of Shirley Ballas' recent comments about their "natural chemistry", and AJ's father's admission that the duo are like a "married couple".

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The rumour mill had gone into overdrive last Saturday when the pair's fellow dancers gathered around the pair and chanted "Kiss, kiss!" led by Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman. The bashful pair declined but that didn't stop viewers speculating about the true nature of their relationship.

But King was quick to quash the rumours, much to Scofield and co-presenter Holly Willoughby's disappointment.

"No, we're not together. No, we're not," she said.

Speaking for a lot of Strictly fans currently "'shipping" the couple, Holly piped in: "everyone keeps talking about it, but the reason we're so excited about it is because you look so lovely together."

Alas, no amount of wishing was going to prompt a different answer. "We get on so well, and I think that's why there are these rumours," Mollie explained. "We're literally like best friends we spend so much time together, we're training 12 hours a day and I still love spending every minute with him."

Phillip was left to scratch his head as to why two single, attractive young people could spend so much time together without igniting a spark. C'est la vie, Phil.

Strictly Come Dancing returns Saturday at 7.05pm, BBC1