There's music – and magic – in the air as Strictly Come Dancing stars Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington ring in the new year with a champagne toast to their exciting plans.
For not only are the professional dancers preparing for the Strictly Come Dancing Live arena tour, they’re also getting ready to star in their own show, Nadiya and Kai: Behind the Magic, as well as celebrating their second anniversary as a couple. Speaking about their romance for the first time in our exclusive interview and photoshoot, they reveal how their relationship began and the real-life magic that has continued to unfold since Strictly brought them together.
"I just knew Nadiya was The One," says Kai of the moment he fell for his co-star, a dancer on Strictly since 2017, shortly after he joined the show in September 2021.
"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. People often misjudge her and just see a stunning blonde girl, but she’s more than that. She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and the most amazing mother."
Devoted mum Nadiya, 34, who shares seven-year-old daughter Mila with her former fiancé, Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot, recalls that it took Kai, 28, a while to convince her that they should be together.
"This was my first relationship after not being with the father of my daughter, and being a mother to Mila was and still is my priority," she says.
"When you’re a mum, you don’t jump into a relationship saying: 'I'm in love,' and that’s it. It's a big responsibility and I'm very protective of my daughter. Bringing someone else into my life isn’t just about me, it’s about her, and if I decided to be with Kai, it would influence Mila as well.
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"I didn’t know how she would feel; that, to me, is the most important thing. So I took my time and he showed me that it was worth it in the best possible way."
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