Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin has confirmed his romance with new girlfriend, Charlie Backshall, as the pair were spotted walking hand in hand during a romantic stroll in northwest London.
While this is the first time the couple have been seen together in public, news of their relationship first came to light in December last year. So, who is Charlie? Read on to find out all about the Ukrainian dancer's new girlfriend, as well as Nikita's previous dating history.
Nikita is dating TikTok star Charlie Backshall
Who is Nikita Kuzmin's girlfriend Charlie Backshall?
Charlie Backshall is a TikTok star who hails from Perth in Australia. The 21-year-old is the host of sex podcast, The Hotline, in which she talks about life in her 20s alongside Sizzle Reel boys, Blake, Jack and George.
The couple were spotted in northwest London
In the podcast, Charlie, whom Nikita follows on Instagram, shares her "wisdom on sex, relationships and all the taboo business nobody seems to want to talk about," according to the series synopsis.
MORE: Nikita Kuzmin looks so different in never-before-seen photos
In an episode released in December, Charlie confirmed her relationship, telling her listeners: "Guys, I have some very, very big news… I have a boyfriend. I have a whole entire boyfriend."
Charlie recently deleted her podcast page
"He popped the question. It's been four or five days. I flew back into Perth at 1am this morning. I've been back in Perth for about nine hours. He asked me on the 28th and today is the 3rd so it's been six whole days."
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Charlie is 21 years old
She continued: "The bad news is he's a public figure… don't try and figure out who he is, I don't follow him on Instagram for that matter, but his brand is very family friendly… my brand is not family friendly so I'm sort of just following his lead in terms of how public we're making things."
The pair were pictured holding hands in public
She went on to say that the pair are keeping their romance private and that she doesn't intend to reveal too much detail about their relationship. "We're not posting anything just yet we're keeping it very on the down low, but it does limit how much I can talk about our sex life," she said.
Since Nikita and Charlie's romance has come to light, the Australian social media star has deleted her TikTok account, as well as her podcast page - which is no longer available to listen to.
Charlie recently deleted her TikTok account
Nikita's previous dating history
Prior to his romance with Charlie, Nikita, 25, was in a long-term relationship with professional dancer Nicole Wirt.
Like her ex-boyfriend, Nicole is a professional dancer and choreographer.
Nikita was in a long-term relationship with Nicole Wirt before dating Charlie
The performer, who is based in Frankfurt, Germany, was involved in the UK tour of Here Come The Boys in the summer of 2022, alongside Nikita and various other Strictly dancers, including Graziano di Prima, Nadiya Bychkova and Pasha Kovalev.
It is thought that the pair decided to go their separate ways two months before Nikita's romance with Charlie was first reported at the end of last year.
Nikita and Charlie's relationship was first reported in December
While little else is known about Nikita's dating history, there have been various rumours about his love life since he made his Strictly debut.
During the latest series of the BBC show, it was rumoured that the dancer, who was partnered with Paralympic Gold Medallist Ellie Simmonds, was dating CBBC star and contestant Molly Rainford.
Nikita has yet to speak publicly about the relationship
This isn't the first time Nikita has been at the centre of Strictly relationship rumours as his close friendship with his 2021 celebrity partner Tilly Ramsay sparked speculation about a potential romance between the two.
WATCH: Gordon Ramsay's daughter Tilly confirms new relationship after Nikita Kuzmin rumours
The social media influencer squashed the rumours, however, by revealing that she was in a relationship in November last year.
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