Ali Bastian They found love while starring in Strictly Come Dancing last year, but Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna have ended their whirlwind romance.
Alexandra Louise "Ali" Bastian (born 27 February 1982)[2][3] is an English television actress, best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2007, and PC Sally Armstrong in long-running ITV drama series The Bill from 2007 to 2009.Born in Windsor, Berkshire, to Paula C. Marriott and Nicholas P. Bastian, she is of Armenian and Russian descent.[4] Bastian has one younger brother, Nicholas Ruel Bastian (born March 13, 1986). Bastian was raised in Cookham and Maidenhead in Berkshire, and Marlow in Buckinghamshire.Bastion attended the Redroofs Theatre School at Maidenhead from the ages of 10 to 13, and started professional acting with a role in Jane Eyre aged 10.[5] She then attended Claires Court school, the College, Maidenhead.Bastian joined the Channel4 soap in 2001. She was involved in a controversial storyline in Hollyoaks where her character was fired from her teaching job and sent to prison after having an affair with one of her students – Justin Burton played by Chris Fountain. In December 2005, alongside her Hollyoaks cast mates Jodi Albert and Sarah Jayne Dunn, Bastian appeared in an exercise video called Hollyoaks Get Fit. At the 2006 British Soap Awards Bastian and Chris Fountain won the award for best storyline. She departed the show in 2007.She was a contestant, departing in the semi-final on Strictly Come Dancing 2009, where she was partnered with Brian Fortuna. In week 11 Bastian severely bruised the bones of her foot while training. Doctors later gave her the all clear to go ahead and perform. There was doubt about her fitness to perform in the shows semi final. After successfully performing, Ali and Brian were eliminated, finishing in third place out of sixteen couples.[8] Bastian currently holds the celebrity record for the American Smooth and the Viennese Waltz, receiving a perfect score for both of these dances. The pair danced again in the Strictly Come Dancing 2009 Christmas Special, and won having again scored 40/40 for their Viennese Waltz.
Bastian then joined Fortuna in the hit West End dance show, Burn The Floor, which opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on July 21, 2010, and ran until September 4, 2010.As a child, Bastian was involved in the productions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Once Upon A Time and Paddington Bear.
Bastion is currently starring alongside Dawn Steele and Matthew Lewis in the UK touring version of Bill Kenwright's production of Verdict by Agatha Christie, playing alter-ego Helen Rollander.[9]Bastian dated Hollyoaks co-star and on screen husband Kevin Sacre. During their two year relationship, the couple appeared in a celebrity couples edition of the quiz show The Weakest Link. The couple broke up in early 2006.[12] She then dated long term friend and rugby union player Nick Kennedy, who plays for London Irish. She then dated her professional dance partner, Brian Fortuna from Strictly Come Dancing in 2009.[13] Shortly after Burn The Floor closed in September 2010, the couple split-up in October 2010 after a year of datingThey found love while starring in Strictly Come Dancing last year, but Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna have ended their whirlwind romance.
‘The love affair is sadly all over. But Brian and Ali remain amicable and will continue to be friends’, a close friend of the pair told the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay.
Former Hollyoaks actress Ali, 28, was overheard telling girlfriends last week that it is all over with Brian.
While at The Red Room club in Mayfair, she said she was sad to lose Brian, 28, but they had both realised the relationship had fizzled out.
Having never danced professionally, Ali – who finished as a semi-finalist on Strictly – was so enthralled by Brian’s profession that this summer she appeared with him in Burn The Floor, a sizzling West End dance show, for two-and-a-half months.
But after ending her relationship with the American dancer, a close friend revealed: ‘She is off soon to a luxury retreat in Jamaica with some friends to mend her broken heart.’
Ali and Brian were paired as dance partners on the TV show in August last year and within weeks of their professional relationship, rumours started flying of a personal one.
Their bond was undeniable and soon developed into more than just on-stage chemistry.
But despite receiving rave scores from Strictly judges throughout the series, they failed to win over the audience in the finals and came away with third place out of sixteen couples.
As they graciously left the BBC show, Ali gushed: ‘Thank you so much to Brian, you made this season so special.’
A week after they were controversially voted off Strictly, Ali and Brian went public with their romance and confirmed they were an item.
Brian even told Hello! just a week after leaving the show that his parents had already met his new girlfriend and were very happy for him.
They had tried to keep their romance a secret until after completing the Strictly series over fears it could jeopardize their chances of winning.
But Ali couldn’t keep her feelings inside for long and told the magazine of Brian: ‘He’s a real gentleman and holds doors open for you.
'He put me at my ease and made me laugh within five minutes.'
While Brian had said of Ali: ‘Aside from being physically very attractive, Ali is a beautiful person inside.
‘Ali’s a good, honest girl, very caring, very loving. She’s a catch.’
Now, just one year later, they return to being just friends and keep the fond memories of their on and off-screen relationship.
Before dating Brian, Ali had been in relationships with London Irish rugby player Kick Kennedy and her Hollyoaks co-star Kevin Sacre.
We all love the intrigue of a Strictly Come Dancing romance, but one question remains tantalisingly unresolved: are contestant Ali Bastian and her professional dance partner Brian Fortuna just good friends? Or, as co-presenter Bruce Forsyth himself might put it, has the smooth American swept lovely Ali off her feet?
The couple have won ecstatic praise for their ballroom routines. 'It's magic time!' declared judge Bruno Tonioli, awarding them a rare ten out of ten for a performance that even acid-tongued Craig Revel Horwood decreed was 'absolutely thrilling'.
But they've also had to take some merciless ribbing on the show about their alleged relationship; not least from twinkly Brucie. 'There's been a lot of gossip,' he acknowledged archly. 'But Brian told me that he said to Ali when they had breakfast together this morning (pause for dramatic effect) - in the little bistro next to the training room - that they definitely weren't an item.'
So what's the truth? A morning spent with Brian and actress Ali, best known for her role as PC Sally Armstrong in the cop drama The Bill, is illuminating; not least because they are jokey, affectionate, clearly at ease in each other's company and palpably very fond of each other. But, infuriatingly, they both stop short of admitting they're in love.
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Brian Fortuna have ended their whirlwind romance.Ali Bastian
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Alexandra Louise "Ali" Bastian (born 27 February 1982)[2][3] is an English television actress, best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2007, and PC Sally Armstrong in long-running ITV drama series The Bill from 2007 to 2009.Born in Windsor, Berkshire, to Paula C. Marriott and Nicholas P. Bastian, she is of Armenian and Russian descent.[4] Bastian has one younger brother, Nicholas Ruel Bastian (born March 13, 1986). Bastian was raised in Cookham and Maidenhead in Berkshire, and Marlow in Buckinghamshire.Bastion attended the Redroofs Theatre School at Maidenhead from the ages of 10 to 13, and started professional acting with a role in Jane Eyre aged 10.[5] She then attended Claires Court school, the College, Maidenhead.Bastian joined the Channel4 soap in 2001. She was involved in a controversial storyline in Hollyoaks where her character was fired from her teaching job and sent to prison after having an affair with one of her students – Justin Burton played by Chris Fountain. In December 2005, alongside her Hollyoaks cast mates Jodi Albert and Sarah Jayne Dunn, Bastian appeared in an exercise video called Hollyoaks Get Fit. At the 2006 British Soap Awards Bastian and Chris Fountain won the award for best storyline. She departed the show in 2007.She was a contestant, departing in the semi-final on Strictly Come Dancing 2009, where she was partnered with Brian Fortuna. In week 11 Bastian severely bruised the bones of her foot while training. Doctors later gave her the all clear to go ahead and perform. There was doubt about her fitness to perform in the shows semi final. After successfully performing, Ali and Brian were eliminated, finishing in third place out of sixteen couples.[8] Bastian currently holds the celebrity record for the American Smooth and the Viennese Waltz, receiving a perfect score for both of these dances. The pair danced again in the Strictly Come Dancing 2009 Christmas Special, and won having again scored 40/40 for their Viennese Waltz.
Bastian then joined Fortuna in the hit West End dance show, Burn The Floor, which opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on July 21, 2010, and ran until September 4, 2010.As a child, Bastian was involved in the productions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Once Upon A Time and Paddington Bear.
Bastion is currently starring alongside Dawn Steele and Matthew Lewis in the UK touring version of Bill Kenwright's production of Verdict by Agatha Christie, playing alter-ego Helen Rollander.[9]Bastian dated Hollyoaks co-star and on screen husband Kevin Sacre. During their two year relationship, the couple appeared in a celebrity couples edition of the quiz show The Weakest Link. The couple broke up in early 2006.[12] She then dated long term friend and rugby union player Nick Kennedy, who plays for London Irish. She then dated her professional dance partner, Brian Fortuna from Strictly Come Dancing in 2009.[13] Shortly after Burn The Floor closed in September 2010, the couple split-up in October 2010 after a year of datingThey found love while starring in Strictly Come Dancing last year, but Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna have ended their whirlwind romance.
‘The love affair is sadly all over. But Brian and Ali remain amicable and will continue to be friends’, a close friend of the pair told the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay.
Former Hollyoaks actress Ali, 28, was overheard telling girlfriends last week that it is all over with Brian.
While at The Red Room club in Mayfair, she said she was sad to lose Brian, 28, but they had both realised the relationship had fizzled out.
Having never danced professionally, Ali – who finished as a semi-finalist on Strictly – was so enthralled by Brian’s profession that this summer she appeared with him in Burn The Floor, a sizzling West End dance show, for two-and-a-half months.
But after ending her relationship with the American dancer, a close friend revealed: ‘She is off soon to a luxury retreat in Jamaica with some friends to mend her broken heart.’
Ali and Brian were paired as dance partners on the TV show in August last year and within weeks of their professional relationship, rumours started flying of a personal one.
Their bond was undeniable and soon developed into more than just on-stage chemistry.
But despite receiving rave scores from Strictly judges throughout the series, they failed to win over the audience in the finals and came away with third place out of sixteen couples.
As they graciously left the BBC show, Ali gushed: ‘Thank you so much to Brian, you made this season so special.’
A week after they were controversially voted off Strictly, Ali and Brian went public with their romance and confirmed they were an item.
Brian even told Hello! just a week after leaving the show that his parents had already met his new girlfriend and were very happy for him.
They had tried to keep their romance a secret until after completing the Strictly series over fears it could jeopardize their chances of winning.
But Ali couldn’t keep her feelings inside for long and told the magazine of Brian: ‘He’s a real gentleman and holds doors open for you.
'He put me at my ease and made me laugh within five minutes.'
While Brian had said of Ali: ‘Aside from being physically very attractive, Ali is a beautiful person inside.
‘Ali’s a good, honest girl, very caring, very loving. She’s a catch.’
Now, just one year later, they return to being just friends and keep the fond memories of their on and off-screen relationship.
Before dating Brian, Ali had been in relationships with London Irish rugby player Kick Kennedy and her Hollyoaks co-star Kevin Sacre.
We all love the intrigue of a Strictly Come Dancing romance, but one question remains tantalisingly unresolved: are contestant Ali Bastian and her professional dance partner Brian Fortuna just good friends? Or, as co-presenter Bruce Forsyth himself might put it, has the smooth American swept lovely Ali off her feet?
The couple have won ecstatic praise for their ballroom routines. 'It's magic time!' declared judge Bruno Tonioli, awarding them a rare ten out of ten for a performance that even acid-tongued Craig Revel Horwood decreed was 'absolutely thrilling'.
But they've also had to take some merciless ribbing on the show about their alleged relationship; not least from twinkly Brucie. 'There's been a lot of gossip,' he acknowledged archly. 'But Brian told me that he said to Ali when they had breakfast together this morning (pause for dramatic effect) - in the little bistro next to the training room - that they definitely weren't an item.'
So what's the truth? A morning spent with Brian and actress Ali, best known for her role as PC Sally Armstrong in the cop drama The Bill, is illuminating; not least because they are jokey, affectionate, clearly at ease in each other's company and palpably very fond of each other. But, infuriatingly, they both stop short of admitting they're in love.
Ali Bastian
