Strictly’s Nadiya Bychkova bluntly confirms she’s ‘not friends’ with Kai Widdrington

Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has made a blunt admission about her relationship with Kai Widdrington after the former couple split.

In April 2022, the two professional dancers – both fan-favourites on the BBC series – confirmed that they were dating after months of speculation.

As the months went by, Nadiya, 35, and Kai, 29, couldn’t have looked more loved up, with the former saying that ‘magic happened’ as romance blossomed between them after they met on the show.

Earlier this year it emerged that they had gone their separate ways, with a report claiming that they decided to ‘call it quits’ mutually after they experienced a ‘tough few weeks’ with their extremely busy schedules.

At the time, it was said that they remained ‘incredibly close’, and they were ‘determined their split will not have any impact on the next series of Strictly’.

However, according to Nadiya, they are now not as close as they once were.

Last night, she attended the Pride of Britain Awards, where she addressed where she and Kai now stand in their relationship.

‘We work together but we are not friends and that’s OK,’ she told the Daily Mirror at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

‘One thing I can tell you is that when you see me dancing with him it will be amazing because I’m a professional.’

On this year’s series of Strictly, Nadiya was paired up with Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, 24, while Kai didn’t receive a celebrity partner.

Despite the energy that he brought to the dancefloor, Tom became the first contestant to be eliminated, when it was decided by the judges’ vote following the dance-off that Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones would remain in the competition.

Nadiya was devastated by their early exit, having not had a celebrity partner last year on the programme.

Following their elimination, she initially posted a picture of them together on Instagram, writing in her caption: ‘I really appreciate all the messages but I’m not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet. 🙏🏼🤍.’

In her next post, she thanked Strictly fans for their ‘amazing messages’, writing: ‘Tom had so much to give and I had so much I wanted to teach him. His improvement in the last 2 weeks has been incredible and I think, actually I know, he could have become a brilliant dancer.’

She continued: ‘I’m devastated that you won’t get to see that. My 3-time Olympic Champion was an amazing student and is a wonderful gentleman. He will go on to bigger and better things and I know this year he could have had a brilliant Strictly story.

‘I love this show and I want to wish the other couples all the best and I’m sure it’s going to be a great series. Thank you for your kindness.💫.’

Meanwhile, Kai recently addressed not having a celebrity partner this year, telling the Daily Star: ‘Everyone wants to get a celebrity. Unfortunately it wasn’t my time this series.

‘Two boys couldn’t have one this series and sadly I am one of them. Some of us don’t get partners and that’s the way it is.’