Kristina Rihanoff hopes Strictly viewers give Seann Walsh and Katya Jones 'a chance' after that kiss

The Russian dancer, 41, who famously started a relationship with then married rugby hunk Ben Cohen after they were partnered on the show, claims Seann and Katya shouldn't have addressed their kissing scandal on spin-off show It Takes Two on Tuesday either.

Speaking on today's BBC Breakfast, Kristina said: "I hope people can give them a chance. They’re professionals and they have to put all of that aside. It’s been a terrible week but they have to get it together…

"I don’t think It Takes Two was the right programme to apologise, because this is about personal lives, not dancing.

Kristina insisted her own relationship with Ben was much different from Katya and Seann's drunken hook up.

The former Strictly star insists the pair didn't strike up a relationship until after the show had finished and Ben was estranged from wife of 10 years Abby.

"Our relationship developed after the show," she said. "Also I have a family so I can’t really see the connection. Relationships do happen, I’m not the only person to have a second relationship, a second marriage.

"Anything where you have a partnership or teamwork you do have a connection because you have to trust each other. But whether it’s going to anywhere else, we don’t know.

"We can’t really judge because we don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors."

After Seann and Katya's cheating scandal broke, Abby tweeted that she "wasn't surprised" given her own experiences.

Yesterday The Sun reported how kiss wasn’t the one-off drunken mistake Seann and Katya claimed it to be.

Witnesses said that the disgraced comedian and his married dance pro were in fact drinking and kissing in The Duke of York pub in Marylebone every night before they were rumbled.

Multiple sources said that the comedian, 32, and Katya, 29 visited  the small local boozer regularly and were acting very much like a couple in the days leading up to their passionate kiss in the street.

One regular told us: “Katya and Seann came in to the pub every night that week at about 9.30pm. They weren't wearing workout gear when they came in and didn't seem to be coming from the dance studio round the corner.

“They looked like a normal couple – really comfortable with other and they were quite tactile with each other at bar. No one knew who they were and they really kept themselves to themselves, choosing to sit outside.”

They continued: “Katya was drinking gin and tonics and Seann was being a gent bringing the drinks out.


“They were in deep conversation and seemed really into each other stopping to kiss a few times.

“They didn't really seem worried about anyone seeing them but they stood out because it's a local boozer and everyone knows everyone.”

Last weekend The Sun On Sunday first revealed images of the pair kissing in the streets surrounding the pub.

Shortly afterwards both Seann and Katya released statement saying the kiss was a “one-off drunken mistake”.

In the aftermath Seann has been dumped by his partner of five years Rebecca Humphries, who claimed he called her a "psycho" after she speculated he was cheating.

On Tuesday evening Katya – who has been married to fellow dancer Neil Jones since 2013 – and Seann appeared on It Takes Two to apologise for the kiss.

Seann also defended his own reputation, insisting he's been portrayed unfairly over recent days.

He said: "I made a mistake, which I'm very sorry for – sorry for the hurt that I've caused.

"You never think about the extent of the damage that you're going to do, in a moment of, you know the mistake that you've made.

"I'm not perfect, far from it. Our relationship wasn't perfect. That doesn't mean I wanted it to end the way it finally did, and I'm very sorry for that.

"I feel it's also important for me to say that the people that know me the most, that love me, they know that I am not the person I'm being portrayed as. I'm still sorry for what I did, but it's very important for me to get that out there.

Katya added: "Obviously I apologise, and I can't apologise enough to everyone who it hurt and involved.

"But, the main thing, me and Neil are absolutely fine and that's what matters to me the most right now and focusing on my job and doing it as professionally I can."

The Sun Online has contacted Seann and Katya's reps for comment.


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