Rachel Riley has revealed how her 2013 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing helped her “break away” from ex-husband Jamie Gilbert.
The Countdown mathematician, 33, explained that the dance competition allowed her to refocus her energy after marriage came to an end.
Opening up on how the show helped her, Riley told British GQ: “What Strictly did was gave me distance — because I was away from home in Birmingham, Salford, Borehamwood — and it was the emotional distance that I needed to… break away.”
She has since found love with her Strictly dance partner Pasha Kovalev, who she has been with since 2014.
Quizzed as to whether the so-called ‘Strictly curse’ had contributed to her parting ways with Gilbert, she said: “No. I’m still friends with my ex-husband. He’s great, he’s a brilliant guy.
“We were together since I was 19 and it wasn’t right.”
Riley added that her relationship with Kovalev didn’t start for a “long time” until after her divorce.
She previously gushed over the romance in an interview with the Express but admitted she is in no rush to tie the knot just yet.
She said: “I don’t worry about getting married or whether he is taking a long time in the morning or whether he has done the dishes. That does not really bother me in the long term. I feel settled.”
Kovalev called time on the show earlier this year after spending eight years as part of the Strictly family.
Reports claimed his exit had come because Riley was concerned he would fall victim to the infamous Strictly curse.
According to The Sun, Riley was “uncomfortable” with her other half being paired with a string of attractive female celebrities including Ashley Roberts.
The couple did not comment on the reports.
