Fans were stunned to learn that Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff and her partner Ben Cohen are so much in debt that they are "fighting not to lose their relationship and their home". The pair met when they were partnered together on the show in 2013 and share daughter Milena, who they welcomed in 2016. The sparks eventually led Rugby World Cup winner Ben to leave wife Abby, with the pair's divorce becoming official a few years later.
At the time of their split, heartbroken Abby labelled Kristina a "f***ing Russian dancer" but later said she regrets the comments and things haven't exactly been perfect for the couple ever since. Ben last year admitted that they have needed to support each other "through difficult times in business" and details of the struggle have now been laid bare. It all seemed so positive ten months ago.
Ben, 45, popped the question to Kristina during a family holiday to the Maldives last November. They were enjoying the crystal clear waters and gorgeous beaches and took a boat to a neighbouring island before she noticed a lantern-lit heart along with the question "Will you marry me?" written in the sand. In February, he revealed he plans 'to marry in secret' but admitted now they are both very focused on their businesses.
He told MailOnline: "You know, having a business in today's world is really tough. Not only do we have to deal with Brexit , we've gone into Covid and all the lockdowns and three wars and a recession ." Things seem to have spiralled ever since.
Ben appeared alongside the 46-year-old after she was caught driving her £30,000 Audi Q3 without insurance. During a hearing at Northampton Crown Court, Cohen said he had ignored a text message from his insurance company. Rihanoff, who appeared under the name Kristina Pchenitchnykh, was caught driving her 72-plate Audi, in Horsemarket, Northampton, on April 4.
Kristina was slapped with six points on her licence but faced a ban for totting up 12 penalty points. On Friday, she went to court to appeal the conviction for driving without insurance with the former sportsman appearing as her witness. The court heard they Ben and Kristina set up several businesses, including a Yoga studio, which had suffered as a result of Covid.
Mr Cohen said: "I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything - to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I'm so overdrawn." When questioned about the strains on his and Rihanoff's relationship, he said: "We're still living together.
We're in it financially." "We're in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with. I've got credit cards that are overdrawn.
I'm overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It's just another problem.
" Last year, he hinted at financial troubles. "To support each other through difficult times in business is the ultimate test in a relationship. I’ve watched her flourish, from her becoming a mum to growing as a businesswoman, and it has strengthened our bond," he said in a chat with Hello! magazine.
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