BBC Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin's daily battle with life-long condition after diagnosis at 13

Strictly Come Dancing's Nikita Kuzmin opened up about his 'daily battles' (Image: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing sensation Nikita Kuzmin is often seen with a white patch on his arm, a medical device stemming from his diagnosis of a serious health condition at the tender age of 13. Since his debut on the dance floor in 2021, Nikita has quickly become a cherished contestant. He currently shows off his impressive moves with Olympian partner Sam Quek on the BBC competition and has since opened up about his "daily battle."

The dynamic 26-year-old isn't just wowing audiences with his choreography; he's also leveraging his public visibility to highlight Type 1 Diabetes, a challenge he confronts daily following his diagnosis as a young teen.

In an alarming episode that led to his medical revelation, a young Nikita was whisked to the hospital under the cloak of darkness by his worried parents, with his debilitating illness coming to a head. Later at the children's ward, during what would have been a time for sleep, he was confronted with the life-altering news of his Type 1 diabetes.

Nikita, often spied sporting a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), the unassuming patch that keeps vigil over his glucose levels opened up about the initial shock he experienced to The Sun, saying: "It was quite traumatic because I was diagnosed in the middle of the night,".

He recounted the harrowing experience: "It was literally like 2am when we arrived at the children's hospital because my blood sugar levels were extremely high," reports Birmingham Live.

Nikita Kuzmin and Sam Quek performed a Jive to Time Warp by The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Image: BBC)

"They were spiking, and I had been feeling very ill for about a week."

Reflecting on that critical night, Nikita expressed profound gratitude towards his parents: "I'm grateful to my father and mother for taking me to hospital, as they figured out that it might be diabetes."

Unlike its counterpart, type 2, Type 1 diabetes is characterised by elevated blood glucose levels without ties to age or obesity and remains incurable to this day.

For Nikita, managing the condition remains an ongoing challenge. "Even now, it's still a daily battle," he admitted.

"But, I feel like it's my biggest superpower. There's always a way to make things better, and thanks to my Dexcom G7 sensor, managing it is so much easier."

In addition to his Strictly Come Dancing fame, Nikita has also made a name for himself on Celebrity Big Brother, where he finished as runner-up.