Nadiya Bychkova’s own Strictly curse…stormy backstage feud to secret affair with celeb partner & nude shoot as ‘reward’
PASSION, heartbreak and backstage intrigue have marked Nadiya Bychkova's journey on Strictly Come Dancing.
In recent years, her personal life has proved just as dramatic as the sizzling dance routines she performs with her celebrity partners.
From a whirlwind romance with fellow dancer Kai Widdrington to a painful breakup played out under fans' watchful eyes, Nadiya has experienced her own Strictly curse.
She reportedly had furious rows with show bosses after being unexpectedly sidelined during last season's show despite being one of the most popular pros.
This week, it was revealed that the Ukrainian dancer, 35, had suffered a freak injury during rehearsals.
The injury occurred during for an upcoming show when Nadiya, who was partnered with Olympic athlete Tom Dean this year, had a fall, leading to a fractured bone in her thumb.
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Medical staff on set immediately tended to her, and an X-ray confirmed that she had fractured her thumb. She’s now expected to miss parts of this weekend’s show.
A source shared: “Nadiya was training with the pros when she fell.
"Her thumb snapped, and the pain was intense. Everyone rushed to her side. Though her thumb is swollen and bruised, she’s determined to perform.”
Here, we look at Nadiya's time on Strictly and how she has had a series of highs and several lows.
Rocky romances
Nadiya's love life has been scrutinised since she first appeared on Strictly in 2017.
Way before joining the show, she was in a relationship with fellow dancer Miha Vodicar. They were also dance partners and even won world dance championships in 2014 and 2015.
But Miha was heartbroken when Nadiya ended the relationship and started dating model Peter Klinc.
It's been claimed that she had been secretly dating Peter behind Miha's back after meeting on the Slovenian version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Miha didn't take the breakup well and even warned even warned the wife of Nadiya’s 2017 Strictly partner Davood Ghadami to watch out.
He said: "Once she decides who she wants, that is it.";
Speaking about the end of their relationship, he told The Sun on Sunday: "It was difficult and broke my heart."
After briefly dating Slovenian guitarist Jan Plestenjak, she accepted a public proposal from Russian dancer Sergey Konovaltsev.
But their marriage ended in 2015 with cheating rumours. Nadiya also hinted at regret in accepting the proposal.
She said: "I was in such a state that I did not think too much and, for the first time in my life, responded so spontaneously.
"I still don’t know what happened to me because I’ve never done anything like that. That’s when I was led by intuition, but I’m still wondering why I accepted."
After another doomed romance with entrepreneur Anzet Cerin, she fell for Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot. The pair welcomed a daughter called Mila but their relationship ended in 2021.
At the time, she said her being in London and him living in Slovenia was the reason for their split.
From romance to 'not friends'
In 2022, six months after her breakup with Matija, Nadiya found comfort with her fellow Strictly pro, Kai Widdrington.
The pair even embarked on a national dance tour together. They wasted no time in going public with their romance.
Speaking about their romance, Kai gushed: "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."
Confirming their relationship, Nadiya said: "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."
The couple even moved in together and got a puppy, with Nadiya telling Closer: "They say that you should never work with your partner but we don't get to spend that much time together so we just really enjoy it. He's my best friend."
But their relationship came crashing down earlier this year when it was revealed they had called time on their romance - after touring in their live show meant they were thrown together 24 hours a day.
Now, the two are said to be locked in a bitter backstage feud and are reportedly refusing to stand next to each other.
According to sources, they were kept apart at the National Television Awards this year to avoid any uncomfortable moments.
When asked about the current state of their relationship earlier this year, she 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."
A source told The Sun that the post dance gatherings in Claudia Winkleman's area - know as the Clauditorium - had become increasingly awkward.
"It's painfully obvious Nadiya and Kai are in the awkward post-break up phase and struggling to be near one another," the source said.
"Obviously that's the risk that comes with dating someone at work, so they're both trying their best to steer clear of each other.
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.
Nadiya Bychkova
"When the pair are in the Clauditorium, they're always on opposite sides. Although they may have big smiles on their faces when the cameras are running, it's been very tense between them.
"They refuse to be near each other at all on set- but there's not much room up there with all the professionals.
"They just have to do their best to avoid each other every weekend."
Rows with bosses
Last year, Nadiya was said to be fuming that she did not get a celebrity partner for the season despite her impressive showings in previous years.
In a chat with The Sun, she said: "I am very disappointed, everyone on the show loves to teach and love to perform.
"Each year, it's a beautiful experience to teach and share it with a celebrity so as I said in my post, I am disappointed but I am very excited about the whole season."
A source claimed: "Nadiya lives and breathes Strictly, and so to hear that she wouldn’t have a celebrity partner this year was crushing for her.
"She was both gutted and very, very angry. She has come to terms with it over the past few weeks but it was devastating news for her."
According to sources, when the professionals met the line-up, bosses were concerned that Nadiya had no chemistry with the male celebrities.
Insiders told Daily Mail: "Nadiya was very surprised when she learned she would merely be part of the wider dance troupe.
"She felt like she had done well since she joined the show, so it was a shock. She wanted answers so she held several meetings with the bosses so she could get some answers. She is accepting it now."
However, other sources have claimed her lack of a partner was because the male contestants were not tall enough to be paired with the 5ft 8 in dancer.
Strictly Curse - The Lowdown
STRICTLY Come Dancing's latest series has already been hit by rumours of a BBC show 'curse' - yet what is it?
A host of Strictly Come Dancing stars have been struck by the Strictly Curse during the past two decades.
This is where celebrities who may or may not be attached in the outside world become more than friends with their professional partners.
A total of 20 relationships are said to have been impacted so far over the show's 20 years.
It has seen relationships crumble with dance floor romances and punishing rehearsal schedules to blame.
This includes the partnerships of Louise and Jamie Redknapp as well as Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer.
Controversially, Judge Craig Revel Horwood once said of the curse: “I think of it as a blessing, to be honest. One person is married, the other one had a girlfriend but my point in this entire thing is: if you come on Strictly, sometimes you are in a relationship that is not working anyway.
“There has to be something wrong in your relationship before it all goes awry.”
Series one winner Brendan Cole left his fiancé, fellow Strictly professional Camilla Dallerup, during filming for the very first series in spring 2004.
Brendan was said to have fallen for his celebrity partner and inaugural winner Natasha Kaplinsky, although the duo didn’t confirm they were romantically involved.
Another source told The Sun: "The only person she could have been paired with is Bobby [Brazier].
"But, bosses felt there was something odd about the fact that the particularly fresh-faced Bobby only turned 20 this summer, while Nadiya is a mature woman."
Nadia's former celebrity dance partner, Dan Walker, is reported to have consoled her after the snub.
This year, Nadiya competed for the glitterball alongside Olympian Tom Dean.
However, they failed to advance beyond the first elimination as they were sent packing after a dance-off with Toyah Willcox.
Playboy shoot 'reward'
Before joining Strictly Come Dancing, Nadiya posed naked for lads mags such as Playboy and FHM.
In one of her snaps, she can be seen standing full frontal naked next to a tree.
Another one sees her posing on a beach wearing a tiny thong. In a third picture, she shows off her stunning figure while driving topless.
Although her history of nude shoots didn't go down too well with some Strictly viewers, she defended her decisions and said she would continue taking risque modelling gigs.
In an interview with Express, she said: "Modelling is very closely connected with dance. Both require the art of performance and a suitable appearance."
She has also explained how she took pictures to reward herself for winning the World Championships in her class of Latin.
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"I wanted the photos for myself", she said.
"I am very satisfied with just about every picture. You must see them, then you’ll know what I’m talking about."