Back in 2013, Countdown star Rachel Riley fell for professional dancer Pasha Kovalev in the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom. And four years ago – on 28 June 2019 – the couple totally surprised fans by jetting to America for an intimate wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. At the time, Rachel was just three months pregnant with their daughter Maven, now three, and they've since welcomed another daughter, 20-month-old Noa.
Jump to the present and the couple has recently marked their fourth wedding anniversary, opting for an equally private celebration. Catching up with HELLO! in an exclusive interview, the 37-year-old opened up about her romantic date night with Pasha.
"We've been married for four years. So we went out and it was in the summer," she said. "We just went for dinner. We don't get out too much because of the little ones and because he's been away a lot. So we just went for a nice dinner, had a few drinks and went home. It was just nice to spend time together, that's all we need now."
The month of July has been particularly poignant for Rachel and Pasha, as they've also marked the 10th anniversary of their first meeting in 2013. Putting a royal spin on their anniversary plans, the couple actually spent 11 July at Windsor Castle, where Rachel received an MBE from the King for her work to raise awareness of the Holocaust and to combat anti-semitism.
Posing for photos together, Pasha beamed with pride as his wife held up her medal. The pair have always been incredibly supportive of one another, and in a 2022 interview with HELLO!, Rachel had nothing but praise for her "brilliant" husband.
"I'm really lucky to have a brilliant husband around who supports me with juggling life and work," she gushed.
"I find I'm always planning life around my children, such as where I'm going to charge my car based on where it has the best play area for the children. My job requires me to be here, there and everywhere and I'm really lucky that my girls are comfortable with whoever's looking after them and they have their own fun when I'm not there."
While Rachel and Pasha share the sweetest love story, their impromptu wedding certainly came as a surprise to their friends, especially as they hadn't announced their engagement. "We only had two friends at our wedding," Rachel told HELLO! in 2021. "We were in Vegas and we just got married, so maybe one day we'll actually let people come but I don't know. Never say never."
Rachel announced the news that she had married Pasha on 28 June 2019 with a photo of the couple in front of a carousel decorated with flowers. She wrote in the caption, "Introducing the new Mr and Mrs Kovalev… We both said yes!"
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As well as shunning tradition and marrying without family and friends present, Rachel also opted for a non-conformist wedding dress. It was a short cream and pink patterned style that flattered her then baby bump, with a V-neck and a flared skirt. Pasha, meanwhile, opted for a blue blazer, a white shirt and cream trousers. The couple spent their honeymoon in Spain, with trips to Barcelona and Bilbao.