Kristina Rihanoff, a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, has stated that she felt ‘inadequate and obese’ on the programme and was continually ‘seeking ways to consume less calories’.
She was on Celebrity Big Brother from 2008 to 2015, when she met her soon-to-be husband Ben Cohen after pairing with him in 2013.
Kristina described her departure as a “bittersweet situation,” adding, “I feel relieved because I wasn’t happy towards the end.”
Looking back on her eight-year tenure on Strictly, the 46-year-old has confessed that the programme brought back feelings of insecurity and that she wasn’t in a good place’mentally, physically, or emotionally’ while on the show.
She said: ‘I always felt I needed to be thinner.’
Kristina continued to The Sun: ‘I felt so inadequate and fat. In my head I needed to lose weight and was always finding ways to have less calories.’
Her sentiments reappeared after her seven-year-old daughter, whom she shares with fiancé Ben, stated that she didn’t want to eat fries for supper because she was afraid she’d get fat.
Kristina was left with a ‘never-ending worry,’ thinking Mila had picked up on such sentiments online or on social media.
Recalling horrendous trolling from her time on the show, during which she already felt insecure, Kristina continued: ‘People would say, “Look at her shape, she shouldn’t be wearing a dress like that”, or “That looks totally wrong on her body”.’
She would be left feeling ‘so sad’ and would only see ‘a fat person on screen’ while watching back videos performing.
As a result, Kristina became anxious to lose weight and experimented with calorie restriction and fad diets, which left her feeling dizzy and as if she might pass out while training.
Not taking care of oneself would also leave her with a “constant headache” and hunger, as she remembered the scenario being “crazy in hindsight.”
Kristina and Ben, who married in the Maldives last year after nine years together, welcomed their daughter Milena in June 2016, reducing the Slavic name to Mila.
Ben and ex-wife Abby also have two teenage kids, Harriette and Isabelle.
Strictly Come Dancing continueson Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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If you suspect you, a family member or friend has an eating disorder, contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 or at help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk, for information and advice on the best way to get appropriate treatment
