Strictly Come Dancing dancer Nadiya Bychkova has admitted that she and ex Kai Widdrington are “not friends”, revealing that their relationship remains strained.
Discussing the split, Nadiya said: “We work together but we are not friends and that’s ok. One thing I can tell you is that when you see me dancing with him it will be amazing because I’m a professional.”
However, the BBC star refused to share further details on her separation from fellow dancer Kai, who she met while filming Strictly in 2021. The former couple have not publicly discussed their breakup before and are expected to resume dancing together on the show during the current series.
Nadiya, 35, made the comments at the Mirror’s Pride of Britain awards, which she described as “one of her favourite nights of the year”. She attended the bash with her celebrity partner from the current series, Olympian Tom Dean, along with other stars from the show.
The event was a welcome reunion for Nadiya and Tom, who were the first couple to be voted off the series this year. Leaving the show, Nadiya said: “It’s never nice to leave early. Tom and I have had so much support from people and I get the feeling that the viewers wanted to see what he was capable of and so did I. Someone had to go and it’s just a shame it was Tom.”
She added: “We are going to keep dancing though. I am going to teach him a salsa with some big lifts. Not for TV, just so he can see he can be brilliant.” Asked who would win the Glitterball on the BBC dancing show this year, she added: “There is so much talent this year and the standard is so high it’s incredible. I love the show so much and it’s great to have a front row seat every weekend. I have no idea who is going to win but I know we are in a brilliant few months of dancing.”
Nadiya and Kai ended their relationship over the summer, just six months after they had posed as a couple for a glossy magazine shoot. The split shocked fans, who went wild when Kai told HELLO! magazine that Nadiya was “The One”.
In December 2023 he had declared: “I just knew Nadiya was The One. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but the real beauty is not just what you see on the outside – it’s the person on the inside I fell in love with. People often misjudge her and just see a stunning blonde girl, but she’s more than that. She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and the most amazing mother.”
The relationship was Nadiya’s first since leaving her former fiancé Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot, with whom she shares a seven-year-old daughter called Mila. The dancer told HELLO! magazine: “When you’re a mum, you don’t jump into a relationship saying: ‘I’m in love,’ and that’s it. It’s a big responsibility and I’m very protective of my daughter.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletterhere.