THE announcement that Delta Goodrem would be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing was met with huge fanfare, but there was one person who wasn’t exactly popping champagne corks — her ex, Brian McFadden.
In fact, insiders tell The Sun that, despite it being 15 years since they called off their engagement, the former crooner was secretly fuming aboutfor Britain’s biggest TV show, and the casting decision has ripped open old wounds.
Brian McFadden is said to be furious his ex Delta Goodrem has landed a spot on Strictly Credit: BBC
Aussie star Delta is expected to be one to watch on the dancefloor Credit: Getty
According to a very well-placed source, one of the main reasons Brian is so miffed is that he was expecting to land a spot on the show himself this year after a successful ‘trial run’ doing the recent special.
They told us: “ was really hoping he would get the call to do the main show this year.
“He got on really well with the producers when filming for the festive special, and it’s commonplace for them to choose someone from the Christmas show to do the proper series — after all, that’s how the likes of , , and ended up on the series after impressing bosses in the seasonal one-off.
“When he saw the that Delta had got the gig, he immediately knew why they hadn’t asked him back.
“He knows they would never cast her ex-partner on the show in the same series, and there is no way Delta would allow that either.
“They’re not exactly the best of friends, and both of them would rather forget they were ever involved, to be honest.”
Indeed, it’s fair to say that the pair’s controversial romance, which ran from 2004 to 2011, took its toll on both of their careers – and we’re told neither looks back on that period fondly.
“In many ways, their romance was a PR disaster, and the scars from that have lingered for both,” says our source.
Brian and Delta were together from 2004 until 2011 Credit: Getty
Brian was married to Kerry Katona before his relationship with Delta Credit: Getty
“It took Delta, in particular, a long time to recover from it, and if she could wipe the romance from her , she would.
“On the rare occasion she’s ever talked about the relationship with Brian since they split, she’s made it clear she regrets it, and obviously that’s left something of a bitter taste in Brian’s mouth.”
The Aussie songstress, who shot to fame as Nina Tucker in before launching a successful music career with smash hits such as Born To Try and Lost Without You, certainly saw her girl-next-door image take a hit when she fell in love with Brian while he was still legally married to his now ex-wife .
Although Brian had already separated from Kerry in 2004 when he and Delta met while recording the romantic duet, Almost Here, Delta copped a backlash from angry Westlife and fans who unfairly cast her as the ‘other woman’.
Our source continues: “While Delta and Brian were both single when they got together, because of the timeline of events and Brian only recently coming out of a , many people jumped to the conclusion they’d had an affair.
“To this day, there are people who call Brian a cheat and Delta a homewrecker, and they have both realised that’s probably something they will never be able to fully shake.
“Every time Delta ends up back in the public eye in the UK, it all gets stirred up again.
“When she competed for in the Eurovision back in May, quite a few TikToks were circulating about their affair, and neither of them was thrilled about that.
“Brian is annoyed about the whole situation, to be honest. Delta being on Strictly means even more people will be dragging up the past again, and it’s just frustrating for him.
“Let’s be honest, it’s less of an issue for Delta as her career is thriving at the moment, and she is riding high from , but Brian is something of a nostalgia act these days.
“His Boyzlife project with Keith Duffy was successful, but it was essentially the two of them trading off their former glory days when they topped the charts. He really needs a gig like Strictly right now, but it’s certainly not going to happen this year.”
Back in 2004, when Brian and Delta fell in love, he was at the height of his career at a time when Delta, then 20, was still starting out.
She was also on the rebound from ace Mark Philippoussis when she fell for Brian, but their romance quickly gathered steam despite the raised eyebrows.
A year after falling in love, Brian moved to to live with Delta, 12,000 miles away from the two daughters, Molly and Lilly, that he shared with Kerry.
Subsequently, Kerry took a series of pops at Brian in , calling him “terrible” for moving to the other side of the world, and even branding him a “s**t dad” in one interview.
Despite the media storm, in November 2007, Brian popped the question to Delta with a diamond ring said to be worth in excess of £50,000, and the pair were soon planning to wed in Bali.
However, as Delta then uprooted herself to LA to try and crack while Brian remained Down Under, where he worked as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, cracks grew.
By April 2011, their relationship had imploded, and in a statement, the couple said they had “grown apart” and called it quits after “ a lot of soul searching”.
Brian danced with Michelle Tsiakkas in last year’s Strictly Christmas special Credit: PA
And while Brian also called Delta “one of God’s living angels” on , she admitted a year later in an interview with Australia that she was “really unhappy” towards the end of the engagement, and “didn’t know how to get out”.
Moreover, she went on to admit that her association with Brian had negatively impacted her career, especially in the UK.
Writing in her 2021 book, Bridge over Troubled Dreams, Delta referred to the romance as the “wrong relationship” and that she learned that “the hard way”.
She said: “I can’t help but think that being with a guy who wasn’t right for me at that time had an effect on my career.
“I made some choices that completely changed the trajectory of my career in the UK.
“It seemed like I was on front covers everywhere I looked – and for all the wrong reasons.
“All the focus was on my private life and none on my music, and it did put me off course there for a little while. I was only 20, 21 – still a kid, really – and I learnt the hard way that you have to be so careful about the decisions you make.”
While Delta hasn’t spoken about Brian since – “She actively avoids having to speak about that period of her life as much as she can, it was years ago, and she’s long since moved on,” insists a source in her camp – we’re told Brian is still smarting over her words.
“He knows he wasn’t perfect, but hearing Delta essentially dismiss their seven-year relationship as a mistake didn’t sit well with him and still doesn’t,” reveals our insider.
“He’s pretty bitter about the whole thing, but ultimately, he was the one just out of a marriage with two kids when they got together, not Delta.
“It’s hardly surprising she looks back on the whole saga with regret, but of course, that bruised Brian’s ego and continues to be a sore spot for him.
“Now she’s essentially been chosen for Strictly over him, it’s like salt in old wounds.
“Brian won’t be getting over this one for a while, and he’s got weeks of watching his former flame become the nation’s sweetheart on national TV every Saturday night.
“It’s safe to say, he won’t be booking a front row seat on his sofa.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
