The stars of Strictly Come Dancing are gearing up for the spookiest night of the year – the Strictly Halloween special of course! One couple hoping to impress the judges with their routine is Paralympian Ellie Simmonds and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin.
MORE: Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin talks 'difficult' update on family living in Ukraine
The pair are set to perform a Foxtrot to the theme tune of Scooby Doo, we can't wait! Ahead of their routine, find out more about Nikita below, from when he joined the show to his love life and more…
WATCH: Ellie and Nikita divide judges over 'illegal' lift
Who is Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin?
Nikita Kuzmin is a professional dancer who joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2021. For his first year on the show, he was partnered with Gordon Ramsay's daughter, Tilly, and the pair wowed the judges and viewers at home making it all the way to tenth place.
Before joining Strictly, Nikita wasn't short of experience working on dance shows. After becoming the holder of six Italian Championship titles, he went on to become a regular dancer on the German competition show, Let's Dance. His sister, Anastasia Kuzmina, is also a professional dancer.
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© Photo: BBCNikita is currently partnered with Ellie Simmons
How old is Nikita Kuzmin and where is he from?
Nikita, 24, was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the age of nine, he and his family moved to Italy and, when he turned 18, the dancer went on to live in Frankfurt, Germany.
Is Nikita Kuzmin in a relationship?
Nikita was previously in a relationship with fellow dancer Nicole Wirt. The pair were together for a number of years and would often share photos of them together on social media.
However, earlier this month, it was reported in the Mirror that the couple had since parted ways. Although the reason was not revealed by either party themselves, the publication stated it was so Nikita could focus solely on the show while Nicole remained in Germany. Since then, it's thought that the dancer has remained single.
Nikita joined Strictly in 2021
What else is there to know about Nikita Kuzmin?
As well as being open and vocal about his journey on Strictly, the dancer has opened up about the heartbreaking difficulty his family in Ukraine has faced since Russia declared war on the country earlier this year.
The dancer appeared on Loose Women this week alongside his partner Ellie when he made a comment about the current situation. "It's quite difficult, therefore I try to – I call my grandparents every single day," he explained.
"It's really important for me to know what's happening, especially in the last two weeks [as things have gotten worse.] Of course, we can't avoid the war, we can't give up, but I hope it ends as soon as possible – and it's heartbreaking."
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