Countdown's Rachel Riley has revealed the challenges of a "big transition" for her family, as her husband Pasha Kovalev prepared to dance his way back into work. Maths whiz Rachel and her partner, ex-Strictly pro Pasha, first experienced parenthood after welcoming little Maven in December 2019. Then, just when they were getting into the swing of things, the world turned upside as Covid -19 thrust Britain into lockdown a twist that saw Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha's work come to a grinding halt.
The enforced break meant precious family moments for Rachel and Pasha as they navigated new territory as parents. But with the birth of their second bundle of joy, Noa, in November 2021, change was once again on the horizon as the UK looked towards lifting lockdown restrictions. It left the family facing a "big transition" when the world opened up and Pasha went back on tour as a professional dancer.
Rachel, 38, discussed family life ahead of Pasha's 2023 tour with La Bamba. Speaking on Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Spinning Plates podcast, Rachel said: "It's kind of changed because over the pandemic we were just around a lot. "I was still fortunate enough to be filming Countdown but his work in theatre and shows disappeared, which actually in retrospect we really appreciated having all that family time together.
"Everything you would expect to be doing as new parents, with that juggle, we just didn't have. Now we have two and our lives are back up and running. "It's always changing but fo.