Nikita Kuzmin sailed through series 21 of Strictly Come Dancing, coming in second thanks to his incredible partnership with Bad Education actor and West End star Layton Williams. After wrapping another series of the hit BBC competition in December, followed by the annual Strictly tour, Nikita has since taken on a surprising new project for 2024 – Celebrity Big Brother.
Joining an eclectic line-up which includes Fern Britton, Gary Goldsmith and David Potts, Nikita has officially entered the Big Brother house in West London, and ahead of his stint on the show, he revealed who he's most looking forward to meeting at the end of the CBB runway.
"My girlfriend, my family and my two cats! And of course, I hope my Strictly family will be watching! I will be happy if they can take their time to come and see me. They’re all busy but if they can come, I would love that," he said.
So who is Nikita's family? Find out more about his parents and siblings here…
Who are Nikita Kuzmin'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.
Nikita 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 26-year-old often heads home to Italy where he relishes quality time with his family.
Does Nikita Kuzmin have siblings?
Nikita has one 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 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.]"
Shortly 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."
