Rachel Riley, the mathematical whizz behind Channel 4's Countdown, has spoken candidly about her stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, admitting she didn't particularly enjoy her time on the beloved BBC show. She revealed: "As soon as the music would start, I would have a fuzzy brain and it was like an out-of-body experience."
That said, Rachel did cherish one element of Strictly – being paired with professional dancer Pasha Kovalev. Their relationship flourished after the programme, with the pair confirming they were together shortly after the series wrapped in December 2013. They tied the knot in a Las Vegas ceremony on 28 June 2019.
Pasha's Gruelling Strictly Schedule
Having seen first-hand the pressures placed upon Pasha, Rachel understood the factors behind his decision to leave Strictly just months before their wedding. Speaking on Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things podcast last year, she described the punishing schedule endured by Strictly professionals such as Pasha: "They start doing the group dances right through to Christmas," she said. "He's mega-busy."
Rachel also observed that while appearing on Strictly, Pasha was far from ideal company: "He's like a zombie, like a shell of a human that's got nothing to say for himself."
Keeping the Relationship Alive
Nevertheless, they discovered a method of managing the pressure, as Rachel disclosed they maximised their time off: "So, as soon as he wasn't working, we kind of regrouped and we kept our relationship going by travelling in between the heavy workload."
It comes as Pasha, 46, and Rachel, 40, recently uncovered several minor "hidden health surprises" of which they had been completely unaware. To build their muscle mass, they've deliberately ramped up their daily exercise levels. Rachel proposed taking up squash, which has since become a weekly pursuit for the duo.
Pasha shared: "We try to do it every week, at least once a week, we've been successful so far." The dancer disclosed he had never picked up a squash racket before joining Rachel in the sport, but considers it brilliant for maintaining fitness and cardiovascular health. Pasha remarked that Rachel derives even greater satisfaction from their matches as she consistently wins.
Dancing and Swimming Still Part of Their Lives
Dancing, which originally united them, continues to be a fundamental element of their relationship, with the couple still relishing the opportunity to showcase their skills during date nights. Rachel has also incorporated swimming into her exercise regime, when she took part in the programme Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, where she dives with sharks off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas.
Rachel described the experience to the Daily Mail: "I did feel fear at seeing a shark up close for the first time," explaining how a bull shark approached the protective cage. "My heart was racing but I didn't freak out." She elaborated: "We later learned that every kind of shark has a different personality. The bull shark is a sneaky f*****. The experts don't trust them."
Despite her nerves about swimming alongside these powerful predators, Rachel admitted she found the experience thrilling, confessing: "It was glorious. There's a feeling of euphoria. You can really feel the chemical reaction in your body."
Rachel Riley is on The Weakest Link on Saturday 27 June from 7.25pm on BBC One.
