Alexandra Burke
Burke and Gorka Marquez performing on Strictly. BBC

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Alexandra Burke is being accused of hypocrisy amid claims she had an affair with a married man in 2008. The news comes after reports that she is frustrated that professional dance partner Gorka Marquez has been dating rival competitor Gemma Atkinson.

A source told The Sun: "There are those here who understand her concerns, but there are others who think she can't complain given what she has done in the past. Stealing someone's husband is a lot worse than dating another woman's dance partner."

Burke is said to be concerned that Marquez and Atkinson's relationship will undermine her chances of winning the BBC One show.

"Gorka and Gemma are together. It's the talk of the make-up room," a source told The Sun last week. "Not surprisingly, Alexandra is furious about how it might impact her chances of winning. She's very ambitious and is nervous about it all."

The Sun on Sunday then reported claims made in 2008 that Burke, who won X-Factor that year at the age of 20, had an affair with married dad Russell Brooks. The claims were made by Tracie Brooks, with the identity of her husband's reported lover kept a secret at the time.

At the time Tracie said: "Russell and I had been married for five years when I began to feel there was someone else. He denied it but our relationship became really strained and I felt like he was losing interest in us.

"We argued about it and I asked him again and again to decide whether he wanted to stay, but he always seemed torn. It wasn't until after we'd finally split for good that he admitted he'd been seeing someone all along. I was really shocked.

"I couldn't bear to think about him. The thought of him and another woman together, the woman I believe he'd left me for, was disgusting."

Burke at the time said she and Russell only got together after the end of their marriage.

A source said: "Alexandra is really unhappy that Gemma has gone off with Gorka and she has made her feelings clear. He has done his best to reassure her their romance won't affect her chances of winning, but so far she just doesn't seem to be buying that.

"She is fiercely competitive and doesn't want anything to get in the way of her success."

Burke is among the favourites to win this year's series of the dance contest, having excelled in each of the three weeks of competition so far. This past Saturday she danced an American Smooth to Wouldn't It Be Loverly from the musical My Fair Lady.