Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has made it clear that she and ex-boyfriend Kai Widdrington are not friends following their break-up earlier this year. The professional dancers, who began dating in 2022, decided to part ways, and when asked about their current relationship status, Bychkova stated, “We work together but we are not friends and that’s OK.”
Bychkova, a 35-year-old Ukrainian dancer, and Widdrington, 29, first met on the BBC dancing competition in 2021. This year, Bychkova was paired with 24-year-old Olympian Tom Dean on Strictly Come Dancing. Unfortunately, the pair were the first couple to be eliminated after losing a dance-off to Toyah Willcox and her partner Neil Jones.
Despite their early exit from the show, Bychkova expressed gratitude for the support they received, saying, “Tom and I have had so much support from people. I get the feeling that the viewers wanted to see what he was capable of and so did I.” She mentioned her plans to continue dancing with Dean, aiming to showcase his brilliance through a salsa routine with impressive lifts.
Reflecting on this year’s season of Strictly, Bychkova praised the high standard of talent among the contestants, acknowledging that choosing a winner would be difficult due to the incredible level of competition. Notably, Widdrington was absent from this year’s line-up, with sources attributing his absence to the surplus of male celebrities on the show.
The current season of Strictly Come Dancing has faced controversy, with former contestant Amanda Abbington withdrawing from the show last year and subsequently raising complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against professional dancer Giovanni Pernice. Pernice has denied the allegations, and the BBC’s investigation into the matter concluded that while Abbington’s complaints were acknowledged, there was no evidence of physical aggression from Pernice towards his celebrity partner.
As the dance competition continues to captivate audiences, fans eagerly anticipate the spectacular performances and fierce competition that lie ahead in the coming weeks.