Rachel Riley addresses shift in Pasha Kovalev relationship after heartbreaking discovery

Countdown star Rachel Riley has made an emotional admission after being married to her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Pasha Kovalev for six years

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Rachel Riley has said she now feels even more “lucky” to be married to husband Pasha Kovalev, particularly after witnessing a friend’s distressing experience with domestic violence.

The couple, who first crossed paths on the hit BBC show in 2013, have since tied the knot and are now proud parents to two daughters, Maven and Noa.

In a recent interview, Rachel shared how finding out about her friend’s terrifying ordeal underscored a shift in how she perceives her relationship with Pasha.

Speaking to The i paper, she said: “Watching a friend experience domestic violence made me realise how lucky I am. It made me appreciate that my home – and Pasha – is my sanctuary. My friend has managed to change her situation, but the process has been horrific and it’s opened my eyes.

“I am so lucky to have a lovely home and to be able to set a good example for our kids of what a nice relationship is. We have a partnership and security and that’s my thing.”

Rachel went on to explain that their compatibility stems from their differences. She added: “Pasha is really solid. I’m so lucky. We respect each other. We find each other interesting. We make each other laugh and we talk about all sorts of different things.

“We come from completely different backgrounds, so we have a different outlook, and we bounce off each other. I have changed him and he has changed me, and we can say things openly that the other one might disagree with or might not understand, but we can always talk about things.”

Beyond expressing her appreciation for having Pasha in her life, Rachel has also developed a passionate commitment to backing domestic violence charities wherever possible after witnessing her friend’s ordeal.

She explained: “I have become an ambassador for a couple of domestic abuse charities, because I was so shocked by what happened to her.”

This marks just the second occasion this year that Rachel and Pasha have spoken frankly about their marriage. Back in March, the pair disclosed how they utilise sport to maintain the spark in their relationship.

Pasha revealed: “We try to do it every week, at least once a week, we’ve been successful so far.

“[Rachel] loves playing, I [had] never played it until I started doing it with Rachel, but it’s great exercise, it keeps you active, it keeps your heart going. Plus, she gets lots of positivity from it because she always wins.

“I think those things are so helpful in a relationship. Find what you like together and start doing it together, even if it’s once in a while. If you try and do so many of those things, then you enrich your personal life and your relationship.”