BBC Strictly Come Dancing executives are struggling to manage backstage tensions as two stars are "doing their best to avoid each other" during the live shows.
Professional dancers Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington are reported to be keeping their distance from each other following their break-up. The duo publicly announced their relationship in 2022, but split earlier this year before the new series kicked off.
Although insiders originally claimed that the separation had been amicable, last week Nadiya told the mirror that the pair are "not friends" any longer.
Nadiya stressed that any tensions with her ex would not impact her performance on Strictly. She said: "One thing I can tell you is that when you see me dancing with him it will be amazing because I’m a professional."
But the pair’s relationship is now so strained that they are even standing on opposite sides of the Strictly set during live broadcasts.
Each Saturday night, the dancers and their celebrity partners gather in the 'Clauditorium' to discuss their performances with host Claudia Winkleman. But while other contestants share jokes and compliments, Kai and Nadiya have been seen to be keeping their distance from one another.
A source told the Sun: "Although they may have big smiles on their faces when the cameras are running, it's been very tense between them."
The insider added: "They refuse to be near each other at all on set- but there's not much room up there with all the professionals. They just have to do their best to avoid each other every weekend."
The pair met on the set of Strictly in 2021 and quickly fell in love. Kai had recently left a five-year relationship with Dancing with the Stars professional Giulia Dotta, while Nadiya had been engaged to the Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot, with whom she shares a seven-year-old daughter called Mila.
Nadiya and Kai initially kept their budding relationship under wraps as Nadiya took things slowly to make sure that her daughter felt safe and prioritised.
The dancer told HELLO! magazine: "When you’re a mum, you don’t jump into a relationship saying: 'I'm in love,' and that’s it. It's a big responsibility and I'm very protective of my daughter."
Given the amount that was riding on the relationship, insiders say it is unsurprising that the breakup is proving awkward to navigate on screen.
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A source told the Sun: "It's painfully obvious Nadiya and Kai are in the awkward post-break up phase and struggling to be near one another. Obviously that's the risk that comes with dating someone at work, so they're both trying their best to steer clear of each other.”
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