Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova has opened up on introducing her daughter Mila to new boyfriend Kai Widdrington, admitting that it wasn't always easy.
Appearing on today's (January 6) episode of Loose Women, Nadiya and fellow dancer Kai made an appearance together where the couple discussed their new relationship. During the chat, the Strictly star praised her boyfriend for being a "gentleman."
Asked by presenter Judi Love about introducing her daughter to Widdrington, she replied: "It took quite some time, honestly. It’s not easy, because as you know, you protect your child as much as you can.
"It took some time, but he proved himself in all the possible ways."
Related: Strictly's Gorka Marquez responds to exit rumours
Widdrington went on to reveal the cute nickname that her daughter has for him, adding: "She calls me Kai Lemon Pie. She goes, 'Hi Kai Lemon Pie. Bye Kai Lemon Pie'."
The Strictly co-stars confirmed their relationship in May last year, after the pair previously denied any romantic involvement. "But we're getting to know more and more about each other day by day. He's kind and compassionate and makes me laugh. I feel very relaxed with him," she said (via Daily Mail's Weekend magazine).
Both Nadiya and Kai competed on this year's season of the dancing competition, being paired up with Matt Goss and Kaye Adams respectively.
Related: Strictly and Masked Dancer stars renew vows
Nadiya previously spoke about the pressure of having to face her partner in the series' first dance off, which saw Widdrington and Adams being sent home.
"It's always tough to be in the first ever dance off of the series and it was especially tough to be in there against the amazing @kayeadamsofficial and of course my @kaiwidd," she wrote on her Instagram page.
Strictly Come Dancing's returns on BBC One this year, while spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two will air on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows also stream on BBC iPlayer.
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