Andrew knew everything about me... it blew my mind
Nadiya reveals Prince’s love of Strictly
EXCLUSIVE BY NADIYA Bychkova has said Prince Andrew astounded her when he revealed he was a serious Strictly fan during a chance meeting last year.
LAURA ARMSTRONG Assistant Editor, Showbiz
The dancer, who joined the hit BBC show in 2017, said she struck up a conversation with Andrew, 64, at an event.
And she said the Duke of York seemed to be a fan of hers – admitting she was stunned by how much he knew about her performances.
Nadiya, 34, said: “Prince Andrew and I had a little conversation last year and he knew everything – when I was in, when I was out and who won. It blows my mind how big the show is.”
Former Playboy model Nadiya, who is dating fellow professional dancer Kai Widdrington, 28, was paired with Bros singer Matt Goss in the 2022 series. They were the third pair to be eliminated from the competition and the series was won by Jowita Przystal and wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin. While Nadiya said the show results were well known to Andrew, fellow royals Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales are all known to be fans. Camilla told 2021 winner Rose Ayling-ellis: “I don’t know how you did all those dances.” The Queen has even danced with the show’s stars in the past – including a twirl with late judge Len Goodman in 2019 and with Brendan Cole and Craig Revel Horwood during the Christmas special in 2017. But Prince Andrew – who is no longer a working royal – was not known to be a viewer of the BBC hit. Asked about the King and Queen, Ukrainian star Nadiya said: “Any opportunity to meet them would be an honour. I mean, goodness me, the fact that they’ve watched Strictly. “Angela Rippon was telling me that she had a meeting with the Queen and she was saying she thought we were cool. “That’s the most mind-boggling thing in the world. It’s amazing for us that Strictly has this incredible reach.”
Andrew and I had a conversation, he knew everything – when I was in, when I was out and who won