Kristina Rihanoff has reportedly split from rugby union player Ben Cohen after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing over 12 years ago.
The couple originally found love on the BBC show in 2013, when Ben - who was married to then-wife Abby Cohen - was paired with the professional dancer. While on the show, Russian dancer Kristina, 47, and rugby star Ben, 46, were reportedly hit by the Strictly curse, with the couple becoming an item after Ben split from wife Abby. They later welcomed daughter Mila together in 2016.
Speaking about the couple's split, friends told The Sun: "It’s like the curse in reverse. This will be like karma for Abby, she was so upset when Ben left her. It’s like he has got his comeuppance." The couple have opened up about their financial struggles over the past year and have placed their £1.75million home in Northampton up for sale, while Ben has been removed as a director of their joint yoga business.
The friend added: "The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it’s over and it looks like there’s no going back.”
Back in 2021, the dancing duo exclusively welcomed OK! Magazine into their home which they share with daughter Milena, Ben’s twins Harriette and Isabelle and Labrador puppy Ray.
The pair gave an exclusive look behind closed doors and explained why they “fell in love” with the stunning home in the peaceful countryside which includes a home gym, huge forest area and even a zip-line to entertain the kids.
At the time, Ben said: "Firstly, the house chose us when we went to buy it. I've never had that before. We immediately fell in love with the best part of the house which is the outside of it - the garden and the woods.
"We love to sit outside and just enjoy the sights and sounds of the countryside. My favourite part of it is sitting under the gazebo on summer nights, being out in the woods, and playing in the treehouse with the kids - we've got a zip-line on the back and everything."
Elsewhere, Kristina said at the time that she fell in love with the house due to the amount of space it had to offer. "I love this house because it's so spacious. We are never on top of one another here and there is room for everyone.
"The kids go in one room, we go to the other, and even the dog has a room of it' own." Ben also shared his love and appreciation for their expansive home gym where he says he spent most of his time, while Kristina said that her favourite room in the house is their sprawling kitchen.
Back in September, a court heard how the couple were so in debt that they were "fighting not to lose their relationship and their home" as the former Strictly professional appealed a conviction for driving without insurance.
At the time, the court heard how Ben and Kristina's businesses, which include a yoga studio, suffered as a result of Covid, with Ben saying: "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 asked about the impact of his financial struggles on his relationship with Kristina, he added: "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."
During his rugby career, Ben played for Northampton, Brive and Sale Sharks as well as England from 2000 until 2006. He retired from the sport in 2011 and in recent years, appeared on The Jump, The Celebrity Chase and The Real Full Monty. Meanwhile, Kristina rose to fame in 2008 when she joined the cast of Strictly, taking part in eight series during her time on the show. She left in 2015 before entering the Celebrity Big Brother house the following year.
