Countdown’s Rachel Riley admits romance with husband Pasha Kovalev is ‘on hold’

COUNTDOWN star Rachel Riley has opened up on how her marriage to Strictly star Pasha Kovalev has changed since having children.

The 37 year old star admitted that she and Pasha have essentially put 'a hold' on their romance after "putting a pin" in going out as just the two of them.

Rachel admitted the relationship dynamics had changed between the pair after the November 2021 arrival of their second daughter Noa.

In an interview with the , Rachel said: "All the romances and dates…we just kind of put a pin in it."

She added: "We’re both quite patient and we know that once Noa is off the boob, we’ll get there again.”

Rachel and Pasha first met when she signed up to be a celebrity contestant on BBC One ballroom dance show Strictly Come Dancing where they were paired together.

They went onto marry in 2019 and welcomed their first child, Maven, in December of that year.

However, the mathematician confessed that she and her 43 year old husband have no plans to welcome any more children in the future.

She admitted: "We're done in terms of kids.

"You can fit four in a hotel room or a car. So now when the girls grow out of clothes, they go to the charity shop.

"I'm not keeping them just in case."

Elsewhere, Rachel told the publication that her 40th birthday in a few years will be a huge celebration.

She insisted she was viewing the occasion as a time to go wild and "party" rather than dwell about her ageing.

Rachel said of turning 40: "I’m not thinking about 40 in terms of, ‘Oh, that’s a big number’. I’m just thinking of how we’re going to party."