TM: Rachel Riley reveals why she fell for husband Pasha Rachel Riley opened up about her experience starring on BBC ’s Strictly Come Dancing and shared a surprising insight. The floodgates opened in January when Amanda Abbington made allegations against pro-dancer Giovanni Pernice , who she was partnered with during her 2023 appearance. Giovanni has vehemently denied the allegations.
Graziano Di Prima was also dropped from the show and later released a statement saying he “deeply regrets” his actions after allegations he “kicked and hit” his partner Zara McDermott . This sent the BBC into turmoil and an internal investigation was launched as intense scrutiny rose over the show’s conduct. Read more: Gordon Ramsay 'so proud' as Strictly star daughter marks major milestone Rachel Riley starred on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 (Image: BBC) Although Rachel fell in love with pro-Pascha Kovalev following her 2013 Strictly stint and welcomed two kids with him, she compared her experience to a “hostage situation.
” “I’d never danced a step before in my life and it was absolutely terrifying,’ she said on the High Performance podcast earlier this year. The Countdown star explained that after “dancing in front of 10 million people,” the judges' comments “would be like the end of the world,” which led to her developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rachel shared: “A lot of people who have done it can relate, it’s like a trauma bonding, hostage sit.