Nikita Kuzmin has been a fan favourite on Strictly Come Dancing since he first joined the show in its 19th series back in 2021. The star is currently impressing fans as he dances with Love Island and West End star Amber Davies.
During his time on the show, Nikita has been partnered with Tilly Ramsay, Layton Williams, Ellie Simmonds and Sam Quek, with his best result being with Layton when the pair finished as runners-up.
The dancer has won legions of fans thanks to his cheeky persona and he went viral last year after singing the incorrect Shakira song in a moment that had viewers back at home in stitches.
If you ever wondered about who is supporting the dancer back at home, meet his family and model girlfriend here...
Nikita's parents
Nikita's parents are Natalia and Ievgen Kuzmin. The proud mum and dad are extremely supportive of their son and have been spotted cheering Nikita on in the Strictly studios.
© InstagramThe 27-year-old was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, but the family moved to Italy when he was nine years old. The dancer has also lived in Frankfurt, Germany, where he competed on Let's Dance, the German version of Strictly. When he's not busy training for the annual ballroom competition, the star often heads to Italy where he relishes quality time with his family.
Famous sister
Nikita has an older sister called Anastasia who is also known in the ballroom and Latin dance world. The dancer is a champion in her field and has competed in the Italian version of the show, Ballando con le Stelle. In 2012, she won the show alongside actor Andrés Gil.
Since then, Anastasia has presented dance shows in Europe such as Ballando on the Road, Dance Battle and Happy Dance. Nikita and Anastasia have a close bond and often take trips together.
© InstagramWhat else is there to know about Nikita Kuzmin's family?
In 2022, Nikita spoke frankly about his heartbreak for his family and the wider conflict in Ukraine amid the Ukraine-Russia war. At the time, Nikita explained that many of his extended family including his grandparents, aunts and uncles were trapped.
Speaking on Loose Women alongside his Strictly partner at the time, Ellie Simmonds, he said: "It's quite difficult, therefore I try to – I call my grandparents every single day, it's really important for me to know what's happening, especially in the last two weeks [as things have gotten worse.]"
© InstagramShortly after, however, Nikita returned to Instagram where he revealed that he had rescued his grandmother after she fled to Poland. He wrote: "Picked up my grandma from Poland! She is so incredibly brave & strong, 2 nights without sleeping, walking 8km+ in the freezing cold, when on a normal day, she can barely walk! She traveled from Kiev, my mom flew from Rome and I drove from Frankfurt and we all reunited in Krakow! Just so happy to be together."
He added: "When I was waiting for my mom and grandma at the train station, I've been immersed in this situation for the first time in real life. Although I know I should have been happy for my family, I couldn't. Just had tears on my eyes, because of how sad the situation is. How many thousands of kids and women doing their absolute best to stay strong."
Model girlfriend
Nikita has been dating model Lauren Jaine since June 2023, although the couple waited for over a year until they made their romance public.
When the pro dancer entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2024, Lauren shared her pride in her beau, posting: "The secret is out! As much as I'm going to miss this crazy boy, I'm so excited for him to be part of this amazing experience. The gattos and I will be watching every single night!!!! Love you @nikita__kuzmin."
© Getty ImagesWhen fans started speculating that Nikita and Amber could be growing close, Lauren took to TikTok to say: "Please be respectful to the real-life partners and let them have a good experience of the show too."
Prior to his relationship with Lauren, Nikita was in a relationship with podcaster Charlie Backshall, who viewers might know from her popular podcast, The Hotline. The couple were dating at the beginning of 2023 and were pictured in exclusive photos published by HELLO!.
Before Charlie, Nikita dated fellow ballroom and Latin dancer, Nicole Wirt. The couple were together for five years and reportedly shared a flat together in London, but they mostly kept their relationship out of the spotlight.
Health
At the age of 13, Nikita was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes, something that he initially feared would end his dancing career. Speaking to The Daily Star, he explained: "When I found out, I was 13 and I just come back to Ukraine and at that time, I'd been dancing already for nine years. I lived in three countries and everything because of that.
"So when I found out, I thought, 'My career's over,' and the next morning I woke up and I saw all those kids smiling and they were happy and they were diabetics just like me.
© Instagram"I went out of my room and - this is one of my best memories in my life - there was this wall of fame. It was all of the famous, successful diabetics - Olympians, Paralympians, presidents, actors – everything."
The star drawn attention to the condition while on Strictly, and viewers have occasionally spotted him wearing his Libre Sensor, which monitors his glucose levels. The device needs to be changed every 14 days, with wearers saying the application of the monitor is less painful than the traditional finger prick.
