Television presenter Rachel Riley has revealed that she and her husband Pasha Kovalev have no plans to expand their family further. The Countdown star, 40, first met her husband, 46, on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, before the pair eventually tied the knot in 2019.
The couple have two children together, Maven, six, and Noa, four, but Rachel told Woman magazine that a third child is not on the cards. Speaking to the publication, she admitted: "No, I think we're done."
Children's Dancing Aspirations
When asked whether her children might follow in their father's footsteps and take up dancing, Rachel revealed they were both already attending classes. She explained: "They're both dancing. Maven, the eldest, has got her first ballet exam coming up, and the little one, Noa, has got her first show soon. They are just doing ballet, so it's nothing serious. They love it and they always get Pasha to throw them around the kitchen."
Nostalgic Family Memories
This is not the first occasion Rachel has opened up about family life as her children grow older. Last year, she spoke to The Times about the experience of taking the pair to Disneyland Paris for the very first time. She added that the entire trip proved rather emotional, transporting her back to her own childhood memories of when her grandmother took her to watch The Lion King at a cinema in Southend. She said: "I remember my grandma taking us to the ABC cinema in Southend to see The Lion King, and I still love all the Disney films. I took my kids to Disneyland Paris for the first time recently, and it's so nostalgic looking at your youth through new eyes. Why does this music make me feel so emotional? Because it takes you back."
TV Career and Strictly Come Dancing Return
Rachel is on the nation's screens with Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, which airs this Friday night at 10pm on Channel 4. While Rachel will be appearing in both versions, she has dismissed the possibility of returning to the Strictly dance floor, stating she far preferred her latest stint on Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, in which she appeared last year. Speaking on Lorraine, Rachel told stand-in host Christine Lampard: "This is kind of real, it's blue sky, blue sea, nature. You know what you're getting there. Strictly is just a whole level of other stuff. I'll take great whites over Strictly, for sure."
