3 weeks ago
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BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kanda bravely opened up about the devastating domestic violence she endured, sharing her story publicly for the first time.
On BBC's famous dance floor last year, Nikita Kanda danced with stars, but away from the glamour, she was hiding a dark secret. The television personality recently took to Instagram, bravely disclosing the grim reality of the abuse she suffered, urging others in similar situations to get help.
Kanda confided in her heartfelt post: "It's something I've kept out of the public eye and even away from most people that know me, friends, colleagues and followers. But I feel a sense of duty to use my platform and use something negative that happened in my life for hopefully a positive change,".
She spoke out on the alarming increase in violence against females, stating passionately: "There is a major rise of violence against women and girls in this country which needs to just simply STOP! 2-3 women a week are dying because of this!".
The 29 year old Asian Network Breakfast host revealed more about her background: "This may be a shock to many of you, but I grew up in a very violent environment and experienced a huge amount of abuse physically and mentally for years", reports the Mirror.
She reflected on her traumatic experiences, saying: "The trauma of watching the abuse happen severely to my incredible mum and then experiencing it myself is something I never thought I would get through. It's something that changes you forever, how you view the world and doesn't ever leave you no matter how much you try to forget."
"I never want any woman, child or mother to experience what we have as a family. In the Asian community, we're taught not to talk about these topics, sweep it under the rug and hide it. But I hope we can start speaking more freely, stamping out any judgement and just making sure women are safe."
Teamed up with Gorka Marquez, they were the second duo to be eliminated from Strictly in 2023. Nikita, who hails from Birmingham, had previously expressed that being on the show was a "dream come true".
In her heartfelt Instagram post, she encouraged her followers to seek help from domestic violence charity Refuge if they needed support around domestic abuse. The charity offers specialist assistance for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.
One fan wrote: "So brave for sharing - sending my love to you and your family always."
Another chimed in: "So brave for sharing your story Nikita! And I am sure this will help loads of others speak up. Sending loads of love."
Abuse is a crime and it is never your fault. You don't have to deal with this alone.
Call the freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline at any time on 0808 2000 247. Source: Refuge.org.
English (US) ·