Countdown favourite Rachel Riley has weighed in on the speculation surrounding the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing, backing Emma Willis for the role. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror at the Make-A-Wish charity ball at London's Savoy Hotel, the 40-year-old maths whizz revealed her thoughts on the BBC show's future presenters.
Rachel's Hosting Hopes
When asked who she'd like to see take over the reins, Riley said: 'Oh, I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. They know who they want, don't they? All the names touted for it would be great. Emma Willis is one, isn't she? I do really enjoy Love Is Blind. She and her husband Matt are brilliant hosting that show. It's definitely my guilty pleasure.'
Riley, who met her husband Pasha Kovalev on the dance show in 2013, added that Pasha often gets drawn into watching Love Is Blind with her. 'He's like all men – he says, 'No, no, you go ahead.' Then he's sitting down on the sofa with me, going, 'Why is that one screaming at that one?' He gets all the updates. I pull him in to watch the cutest or most psychotic bits.'
Family Life and Dance-Offs
The couple share two daughters, Maven, six, and Noa, four, and Riley revealed that the children are already showing signs of following in their parents' footsteps. 'I've no idea. I mean, the little one's a total nutter. She has that crazy second child syndrome. They both love dancing. And my big one loves gymnastics – she's ridiculously strong. I think she has Pasha's genes there. And right now she's saying she wants to become a maths teacher, so there's some of me in there, too.'
Riley also shared a glimpse of home life with Kovalev, who was a professional dancer on Strictly. 'Oh yeah, it's very cute. I came into the kitchen the other day and my six-year-old was teaching him the dance to that Zara Larsson hit, Lush Life. She kept correcting his moves, it was so funny. He's a fab dad.'
Holiday Horrors and Solo Parenting
The family recently returned from Tenerife, where they encountered a Saharan sandstorm. 'We had three days with the sky totally covered in sand. The kids loved it though – it felt like a total adventure for them.'
With Kovalev set to tour again in the autumn, Riley admitted that solo parenting can be a juggle, especially when she's filming Countdown. 'It's a bit more of a juggle when I'm filming too, but you just manage, don't you? We go off on playdates left, right and centre. We keep busy.'
TV Work and Favourite Moments
Riley, who replaced Carol Vorderman on Countdown in 2009 at the age of 22, is looking forward to the series final this summer. She also appears on the comedy spin-off Eight Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown, which she described as 'like getting tickets to a private comedy show'. She added: 'You go into the green room and honestly you could find anything in there, from a snake to a talking parrot, someone dressed as a queen or someone else in a gimp mask. It's hilarious.'
Reflecting on her favourite celebrity guests, Riley singled out Chris McCausland, the comedian who won Strictly in 2024. 'He's brilliant. He's really good at the numbers. He can't even see them – he has to not only remember the numbers, but then work it all out in his head. He's incredible, and of course makes us all laugh a lot.'
One of her most memorable TV experiences was the reality show Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters. 'It's one of the best things I've ever done. You get asked to do a lot of things, you get calls about this and that and nothing happens as they're often just ideas that don't end up getting made. But with this one, as soon as I heard about it, I was like yes, yes, yes, I'm jumping in the water with some tiger sharks.'
Riley also praised her co-star Helen George, who faced her fear of water on the show. 'She had to be a lot braver than me on that show as she had a massive fear of water as a child. She genuinely had to face a lot of fears to do what she did. But I really loved that show.'
When asked about the possibility of appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Riley said: 'Never say never. I do love my nature and I met my husband on reality TV. Dougie Poynter was on the shark series with me and he'd been in the jungle, and his McFly bandmate Danny Jones was in the jungle while we were filming it, so lots of people have recommended it.'
