Rachel Riley has opened up about her relationship with husband Pasha Kovalev, admitting their busy schedules mean they are barely seeing each other at the moment. The couple met when they were paired together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.
The Countdown star, 40, announced she was divorcing her husband Jamie Gilbert months after she was eliminated on Strictly and went public with her relationship with Pasha the following year. Rachel and Pasha, 46, tied the knot in 2019 and have since welcomed two daughters, Maven, six, and four-year-old Noa.
Busy Schedules
In a new interview, Rachel confessed that their busy schedules mean they are often forced to spend less time together, adding they can be like "ships passing in the night". With Pasha preparing to hit the road for his Legends of the Dancefloor Tour alongside former Strictly Come Dancing professionals Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite, Rachel explained she tries to do as much work beforehand to ensure one of them can be at home with their daughters.
She said: "So he's about to go on tour with the boys, so there's five of them going around the country from September through to the middle of November.
"Summer often in this industry is a bit quieter. My work's kind of like screeched up, to try and get as much done before he goes away so that most of the time one of us is home. But it's not always possible, unfortunately."
Role Models for Kids
The presenter added to the Daily Mail: "I think it's good for the kids to have role models where you go out to work and you've got your own life as well and trying to teach them about the value of money, etc.
"But we definitely prefer it if one of us is at home so often ships that pass in the night because I try and arrange work when he's not there and the other way around."
James Jordan Split
It comes after former Strictly star James Jordan announced his split from wife Ola Jordan after 22 years of marriage. The pair share a six-year-old daughter named Ella together.
Releasing a joint statement confirming their separation, the professional dancers said: "We're taking some time apart as we work through very difficult personal challenges. James moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for us both and it certainly wasn't an easy decision.
James admitted his mental health "hasn't been in a good place for quite some time", adding: "I've been struggling more than I've let people see and I'm taking the time I need to focus on getting myself into a healthier place, both for myself and for Ella. Neither of us is in a good place right now. We're both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives."
