Strictly's Nadiya Bychkova says 'we are not friends' after Kai Widdrington split

Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova speaks out on love split

Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova has revealed things are still frosty between her and ex Kai Widdrington after admitting: "We are not friends". The former Strictly couple began dating in 2022 and split earlier this year.

Asked about the break up and if they were friends. 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." She declined to comment further on their break up. The former couple, who met on the show in 2021, have not previously spoken about their split and are expected to be dancing on the show together again in the coming months of the series.

Nadiya, 35, was speaking at the Mirror's Pride of Britain awards which she said was "one of her favourite nights of the year". She attended the bash with her celeb partner from the series this year, Olympian Tom Dean, along with other stars from the show. Nadiya and Tom were this first couple to be voted off the series this year. 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."

"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 split in the Summer just six months after they had posed for photos in a glossy magazine shoot. In December 2023 Kai had said: "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."

Nadiya shares seven-year-old daughter Mila with her former fiancé, Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot. Her relationship with Kai was her first romance since she split from the father of her child. In the magazine interview in December she said: "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."

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