When Kristina Rihanoff first stepped onto the dazzling stage of Strictly Come Dancing over a decade ago, she didn’t just bring with her undeniable talent — she unknowingly stepped into what many now call the “Strictly Curse.” And now, following a quiet yet devastating split from former rugby star Ben Cohen – her one-time dance partner turned life partner – Kristina finds herself at perhaps the most difficult crossroads of her life.
Kristina and Ben’s story began in 2013, when they were paired together in Season 11 of the show. At the time, Ben was still married to Abby Cohen — his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his twin daughters. Their sultry routines and growing closeness on the show sparked widespread speculation, and not long after the series ended, Ben left his marriage to be with Kristina — triggering a storm of public outrage and heartbreak, particularly from Abby.
Despite the scandal, Kristina and Ben stayed together, welcoming their daughter Mila in 2016 and attempting to craft a new image — a modern family, a united couple in both business and life. Together they opened Soo Yoga, a wellness centre in Northamptonshire, pouring their finances and energy into building something of their own — a fresh start far from the glitz and gossip of television.
But life proved more complicated than their polished Instagram snapshots. The COVID-19 pandemic hit their business hard, and mounting debts soon followed. In a recent court appearance, Ben revealed they were drowning in over £1 million of debt, and that financial stress had strained their relationship for years. He described life with Kristina as “extremely tense,” and confessed they had “lost the ability to connect.”
Their break-up wasn’t announced through a polished PR statement, but instead filtered out through vague posts by Kristina about “starting over” and “focusing on myself after too many years of struggle.” To add salt to the wound, Ben’s ex-wife Abby responded to the news with a sharp and thinly veiled remark: “What goes around comes around.” A quiet yet cutting response — one that dug even deeper into Kristina’s pain.
Now, as a new chapter looms, Kristina once again finds herself alone. Once a celebrated dance professional, then a woman mired in scandal, and now a single mother facing financial strain — her journey is a sobering reminder that even the brightest spotlight cannot illuminate the shadows cast by a relationship born in chaos.
And so, the “Strictly Curse” is once again invoked — a string of failed relationships, romantic scandals, and broken homes that seem to trail the iconic BBC show. Kristina is not the first — and likely not the last — to be caught in its storm, pulled in by the passion of performance only to be burned by it later.
Can she rise above it all? The answer remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Kristina Rihanoff — like every true dancer — will keep moving forward, even if the stage is now empty, and her most familiar dance partner is gone.
