Thanks to her sparkling stint on Strictly Come Dancing, Kym Marsh has not only found a lifelong friend in her professional partner Graziano Di Prima, but also scored points for being a cool mum with her 11-yearold daughter Polly.
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"Usually I’m quite embarrassing to her. She's like: 'Oh my God, I can't believe everyone knows who my mum is. So embarrassing.' But now, I've become more interesting," says the actress and presenter when she and Graziano join HELLO! for our exclusive photoshoot.
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"I've been getting more messages from Polly now, going: 'Good luck, Mum. I hope you're doing well.' I think it's because all her friends are talking to her about [Strictly] at school."
Indeed, lighting up the TV dancefloor has been a real family effort for Kym – and Sicilian-born Graziano is very much a part of that as they have become more like family than dance partners.
They have become good friends already
"He's very quickly become like a little brother to me," Kym, 46, says. "Graziano is from a big family himself and is very family-orientated so it was important for us to build a friendship and I wanted to integrate him into the family.
"He's fit in really well. Everyone loves him," adds the star, whose loved ones include husband Scott Ratcliff, her three children David, 27, Emilie, 24, and Polly, and parents Pauline and Dave. The feeling is mutual, 28-year-old Graziano assures HELLO!
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"I feel like part of the family. Every week, there is a day where Kym invites me home with her and the family prepare Italian food and make me feel so welcome.
"At the end of the day, when we’ve finished the rehearsals, I'll be in my hotel on my own. But Kym knows that, so she invites me back."
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC1 on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
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