Professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova has urged Strictly Come Dancing fans not to believe “everything that is reported in the papers”, amid rumours about herself and co-star Kai Widdrington.
Earlier this week, Nadiya and Kai – who are both single – found themselves at the centre of romance speculation, with the tabloid press claiming they’d been growing close during the current Strictly tour.
Since then, The Sun published pictures appearing to show the pair kissing in a hotel bar during a tour stop in Newcastle on Thursday.
However, in a cryptic Instagram post, the Ukrainian-Slovenian performer appeared to suggest there is more to the snaps than meets the eye.
“Don’t believe everything that is reported in the papers, or what you see,” she wrote, alongside a photo of herself on the dance floor.
Nadiya added: “I love to dance and that’s what I’m here to do. The warmth and kindness I feel from the audience every night makes it worth it.
“If you’re coming to the tour, I look forward to seeing you there.”
HuffPost UK previously contacted representatives for both Nadiya and Kai, but did not receive a response.
Nadiya performed with BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker during the most recent series of Strictly, and is taking part in group numbers during the current tour alongside several of her colleagues.
The dancer confirmed earlier this month that she and her footballer fiancé Matija Skarabot had split up last year. Nadiya and Matija share a five-year-old daughter named Mila.
Meanwhile, Kai was paired up with TV personality AJ Odudu during last year’s Strictly, which marked his first series as a professional dancer on the show.
Over the course of the run, the two were repeatedly at the centre of speculation that they were an item, though they consistently downplayed the rumours.
AJ had been due to appear on the new Strictly tour, but was forced to pull out due to an ongoing injury. She has been replaced by Maisie Smith, who made it to the Strictly final in 2020, and is currently dancing with Kai.