Strictly Come Dancing's Nikita Kuzmin opens up on 'daily battle' with life-long condition

Strictly Come Dancing's Nikita Kuzmin is often seen sporting a white patch on his arm, a device that helps him manage the serious health condition he was diagnosed with at the age of 13. The professional dancer has quickly become a beloved figure since joining the show in 2021 and is currently partnered with Olympian Sam Quek.

He also uses his platform to raise awareness about Type 1 Diabetes. Now 26, Nikita has spoken candidly about the daily challenges he faces due to the life-long condition, which started when he was rushed to hospital by his parents after falling seriously ill one night.

It was during this emergency visit that he learned he had Type 1 diabetes. Nikita, who wears a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) – the small white patch that tracks his glucose levels – has previously opened up about his 'traumatic' diagnosis to The Sun: "It was quite traumatic because I was diagnosed in the middle of the night," he said. "It was literally like 2am when we arrived at the children's hospital because my blood sugar levels were extremely high."

He continued, "They were spiking, and I had been feeling very ill for about a week.", reports Birmingham Live. Expressing gratitude towards his parents, he added, "I'm grateful to my father and mother for taking me to hospital, as they figured out that it might be diabetes."

Type 1 diabetes leads to elevated blood glucose levels and is not linked to age or being overweight, which are factors often associated with type 2 diabetes. At present, there is no cure for Type 1 diabetes.

"Even now, it's still a daily battle," Nikita confessed. "But, I feel like it's my biggest superpower. There's always a way to make things better, and thanks to my Dexcom G7 sensor, managing it is so much easier."

Besides his dancing career on Strictly Come Dancing, Nikita also gained fame from his stint on Celebrity Big Brother where he clinched the runner-up position.