The teenager dancers who kissed in front of billions during the Olympic Opening Ceremony have dispelled rumours of a real life romance, saying it was “purely professional”.
Jasmine Breinburg, 18, and ex-binman Henrique Costa, 20, shared an on-stage embrace during a segment paying tribute to British pop music and the inventor of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee.
But Costa’s girlfriend, Pauline Julian, 18, who was part of the troupe of 80s and 90s dancers, was standing just metres away.
Costa, 20, from Newham, said: “At first it was a bit difficult but then we discussed it and Pauline was really proud of me. It was an awesome feeling. Just to approach the stadium you see it looming ahead of you but once I was in there it was unreal.
"Now it feels like I am in a dream and haven't woken up."
Breinburg, who works in a clothes shop in Stratford Westfield and a burger stall on the South Bank, denied it was awkward kissing Costa under his girlfriend’s nose.
The Brixton-born teenager who now lives in Deptford said: “My friends were like, ‘how did you do it?' When I was told what I had to do, I was all silly about it, like a teenager, thinking, how am I going to do it? I had a boyfriend [during rehearsals] and so I didn’t know.
“We were in character and my character was in love with his, so it didn’t feel strange. But it’s not about what part you play. The event wouldn’t have been anything without the masses of other performers.”
The kiss was the climax of a storyline in which June (Jasmine) and Frankie (Henrique) travel through a series of musical eras as they fall in love thanks to a lost mobile phone, and gained the couple worldwide attention.
But dancer Costa has vowed not to let his new-found fame go to his head.
"My local shopkeeper recognised me and said 'I knew it was you'.
"But I don't want to get big-headed. The important thing for me is to keep on working and make everybody I know proud. I really want to get into television and film next so hopefully this can help me make some contacts."
He said the group of performers had grown close through rehearsals and planned to meet up soon.
