STRICTLY SPLIT FEAR
Rugby ace Ben Cohen reveals he’s ‘fighting to save relationship’ with Strictly’s Kristina Rihanoff as she sobs in court
He made the admission after Rihanoff was charged with driving without insurance
RETIRED England rugby ace Ben Cohen has told a court he is "fighting to save his home and relationship" with ex-Strictly star fiancée Kristina Rihanoff.
The Russian ballroom dancer, 46, was caught driving her Audi Q3 without insurance in Horsemarket, Northampton, on April 4.
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She appeared at Northampton Crown Court under her name Kristina Pchenitchnykh and sobbed throughout the hearing.
At one stage, the mum-of-one left the courtroom with her hands over her mouth because she "felt sick", reports the .
She then returned wrapped in a white blanket as the case continued.
The couple, who are engaged, share daughter Mila, while Cohen also has twins Harriette and Isabelle from his previous marriage.
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Cohen, 45, appearing as a witness, said: "I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I'm so overdrawn."
Questioned about strains on his relationship, he said: "We're still living together. We're in it financially.
BEN COHEN AND KRISTINA RHIANOFF'S ROCKY RELATIONSHIP
The couple had met when they were partnered for the 11th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, and fell in love.
This was despite Cohen being married at the time to Abby Bray.
Cohen and Rihanoff share daughter Mila, and had planned to tie the knot in Tuscany or Oxfordshire.
He told Hello! Magazine in 2023: "Over the last nine years we've been through the wringer.
"To support each other through difficult times in business is the ultimate test in a relationship.
"I've watched her flourish, from her becoming a mum to growing as a businesswoman, and it has strengthened our bond."
The pair previously revealed they got engaged during a sun-soaked Maldives getaway in 2022.
"We're in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with.
"I've got credit cards that are overdrawn. I'm overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It's just another problem."
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Rihanoff and Cohen had been partnered up for the 11th series of the BBC show in 2013.
Cohen left his wife Abbie Bray for the dancer.
Earlier this year Cohen suggested they had plans to "marry in secret" but were currently focused on their businesses, reports the .
They had previously told they planned to marry in either Tuscany or Oxfordshire before holding a big party at Soho Farmhouse, where the Duchess of Sussex held her hen party.
The court heard the couple set up multiple businesses, including a yoga studio, which was hit badly by Covid.
The couple had previously spoken about getting financial support from the Government, which took its toll on them.
'The Strictly curse strikes again...'
BY Lottie Hulme, Senior Showbiz Reporter
Since the first episode aired on 15 May 2004, the so-called 'Strictly curse' has seen relationships crumble with dance floor romances and punishing rehearsal schedules to blame.
It’s how Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff met after they were paired together on the dance show in 2013.
And while it appears they’ve stood the test of time, with over a decade together under their belts, Ben and Kristina’s relationship has certainly come under strain too over the years, especially having had no work for 13 months over lockdown.
They had plans to “marry in secret” but this was scuppered after the couple were forced to focus on their work after they set up multiple businesses, including a yoga studio, which was hit badly by Covid.
Then the couple spoke about no getting financial support from the Government, which took its toll on them.
Kristina said: "It's easy to love someone when everything's rosy but it's a different story when life becomes a challenge."
So, there’s no doubt the couple have been through a lot together – first navigating the Strictly curse and the backlash that can often come with it, their financial difficulties, as well as Ben’s eight-year-old daughter suffering from a heart condition, which sees them taking her to Great Ormond Street Hospital for treatment.
And now they face the challenge of a court hearing which has seen Ben tell the court that he’s "fighting to save his home and relationship” after Kristina was caught driving her Audi Q3 without insurance.
This is a couple who’ve had many a setback, and as they face one of their biggest challenges yet, some have said “karma” is at play, after Ben broke up his marriage to be with Kristina.
Either way, it’s clear that the Strictly curse has struck again, in what has been a very turbulent year for the show.
Rihanoff said: "It's easy to love someone when everything's rosy but it's a different story when life becomes a challenge."
And Cohen added: "Every love story has its honeymoon period but that eventually goes.
"Love has different meanings and for me, that's a relationship with a partner who's been through difficult times with me and together we move forward.
"She's the person I want in my life forever."
Cohen was appearing as a witness in the court hearing and admitted to overlooking a text from his insurance company prior to the incident.
He confirmed he was solely responsible for sourcing insurance for the couple's cars.
Rihanoff was slapped with six points on her licence but faced a ban for totting up 12 penalty points.
Friday's hearing was to appeal the conviction.
Rihanoff told the court she needed to drive to judge ballroom competitions across the UK, as well as take her children to school.
Cohen said he had taken out a policy with Dial Direct on February 22 but was abroad when he received a text telling him it would be cancelled unless he provided no claims details.
He said he didn't have a no claims bonus so didn't send any details as it "wasn't relevant to me" and the policy was cancelled on March 7.
He added he "wasn't aware" it had been cancelled at the time of the incident in April.
Recorder Cox said she had "every sympathy".
Rihanoff was spared a driving ban due to "exceptional hardship".
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The court heard, as well as taking her daughters to school, her eight-year-old step-daughter suffers from a heart condition and she takes her to Great Ormond Street Hospital for treatment.
Rihanoff lives 25 minutes from her dance studio and travels around the UK at weekend judging dance competitions.
ABBIE BRAY HAS BEEN VOCAL ON BETRAYAL
Ben Cohen's ex-wife Abbie Bray has been vocal about her feelings of betrayal after he left her for Kristina Rihanoff.
Having split from him in 2014, she told The Sun On Sunday a year later: "My husband, who I was with for 23 years, unconditionally loved and was completely loyal to in every respect, has left me for a f**king Russian dancer.
"The last two years have been the most traumatic thing to ever happen to me. He's done the dirty on me. I want people to know.
"I don't want to cause stress or further damage by stirring things up. But I'm just trying to recover from what has been the most horrific time of my life."
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