Strictly's Kristina Rihanoff breaks silence over tough year with partner Ben Cohen
Since leaving Strictly Come Dancing at the end of 2015, professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff has set up her own dance school and yoga business in Northampton with her partner Ben Cohen, 46, who she met on the show. The pair were partnered up on the eleventh series in 2013. They welcomed their first child, daughter Mila, together in 2016.
It was a conscious decision to leave the world of TV behind, although she admits she missed the show at first. “I really, really missed it the first couple of years,” admits Kristina. “You have a withdrawal. It was so vibrant and fun working together to make something really cool and amazing. Then you get busy with your life and now I have a dance school which has grown so much. I dance every day with the kids, and I have different ages and levels from ages four and five to adult couples. I take them to competitions constantly.”
Undoubtedly, 2024 has been a tough year for Kristina. After she was convicted for driving without insurance, she appealed her conviction and her husband Ben Cohen gave evidence to the court that he had been responsible for insuring the couple’s cars. He said, “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.”
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However, Kristina refuses to dwell on the past and is trying to put the episode behind her using the mental tools she learned in the ballroom.
“As dancers you always kind of strive not to look at the problems or issues,” says Kristina. “You look at moving forward and solutions. There are always ups and downs – more downs probably than ups. You just have to move forward and look at the future. You can’t just sit and dwell on issues. It’s about how you learn to move forward and see what’s in the future, and how to move towards something happier and better.”
Kristina is also contemplating a return to TV screens. However, she only wants to take part in a show that teaches her a new skill.
“I’m not up for silly shows,” says Kristina. “I would rather do something challenging like learning a new skill or doing something crazy, like I’m A Celebrity or Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Anything which will challenge me would be great – a personal challenge would be fun.”
