Nadiya Bychkova Confirms Strictly Romance With Kai Widdrington

"He’s kind and compassionate and makes me laugh. I feel very relaxed with him."
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Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington
BBC

Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has confirmed her relationship with fellow dancer Kai Widdrington.

Nadiya spoke about the pair’s relationship for the first time in an new interview with the Daily Mail Weekend magazine, saying: “It’s early days but I feel relaxed”.

Back in January, Nadiya and Kai found themselves at the centre of romance speculation, with the tabloid press claiming they’d been growing close during the current Strictly tour.

Speaking now, Nadiya said: “We’ve been seeing each other properly for a couple of months now.

“It’s early days and we’ve been rehearsing for the Strictly Professionals tour, so there’s been very little free time.”

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Nadiya was paired with Dan Walker on last year's series
Guy Levy/BBC via PA Media

She added: “But we’re getting to know more and more about each other day by day. He’s kind and compassionate and makes me laugh. I feel very relaxed with him.”

Speaking about her professional relationship with Kai, Bychkova said: “Kai’s a fantastic dancer.

“He’s 6ft 2in and I’m 5ft 8in so we’re very compatible on the dance floor. There aren’t that many tall male dancers.

“We’re focused on our work, thankfully we both understand this is part of what we do.”

Nadiya has been a professional dancer on the hit TV show since 2017, while Kai joined Strictly in 2021, reaching the final with his celebrity partner AJ Odudu before she was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury.

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Kai was partnered with AJ Odudu in 2021
Guy Levy/BBC via PA Media

Nadiya was previously engaged to Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot, with whom she shares a daughter, Mila.

She said she intends to maintain a good relationship with her ex-fiance for their daughter’s sake of their daughter, adding: “Having a child surpasses everything else.

“We make sure it all works around her and we both understand our responsibilities.”