Strictly's musical director Dave Arch’s life off screen - with Claudia Winkleman romance rumours

As Strictly Come Dancing's musical director, Dave Arch has been making the magic happen at the famous ballroom for more than a decade - but what is his life like away from TV?

Dave Arch, the musical director of Strictly Come Dancing, is the maestro behind the weekly magic. The 61 year old pianist, composer and conductor has been a part of the BBC show since 2006, leading the in-house orchestra and providing the soundtracks for the iconic ballroom performances. His career took off after studying at the esteemed Guildhall School of Music and Drama, later joining the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He's known for his jazz piano performances at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club alongside vocalist Madeline Bell. As a pianist, he's contributed to films such as The Imitation Game, Gravity, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Harry Potter, reports OK!.

In 2016, Dave released his debut album, Coming Home, and has recorded with superstar artists like Tina Turner, Elton John and Paul McCartney. Besides Strictly, Dave serves as the musical director for recent Royal Variety Performance productions and shows like Stepping Out and pop star to Operastar. According to the Daily Mail, Dave was worth £2.5 million in 2016, with estimated yearly earnings of £300,000.

Off screen, Dave maintains a low-profile personal life. It's known that he's married and has two sons and a daughter with his wife, residing in Hertfordshire. Despite being happily married, there were rumours among Strictly fans that he was romantically involved with co-host Claudia Winkleman. However, they are just good friends and have been for many years.

Claudia Winkleman has been full of praise for Dave during live broadcasts, even dubbing him "wonderful". She gushed: "Our wonderful Dave Arch was honoured this week with a honorary degree from The Prestigious Skills Hall, which is absolutely extraordinary. So I think we should have a round of applause. We love him. Congratulations to Dave."

The Strictly star also had viewers in fits when she and Dave appeared on-screen dressed as a bride and groom. Claudia, who tied the knot with film producer Kris Thykier back in 2000, didn't hold back on her dance floor dreams either, revealing a rather unique "fantasy" dance.

In an interview, she shared her ultimate dance routine aspirations. She revealed: "An Argentine tango with Vincent Simone. But my main fantasy dance is a three-way samba with Tess and Dave Arch. I'm talking big feathered dresses and three of us doing samba rolls in unison. I'll leave that image with you. Sorry if you feel nauseous."