Strictly's Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova look in high spirits as they take a break from dance rehearsals to enjoy a walk ahead of first live show

Strictly stars Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova looked in high spirits as they took a break from dance rehearsals to enjoy a walk around London on Thursday.

The British Olympic champion, 24, and Ukrainian professional dancer, 35, are hoping to beat the rest of the competition and take home the Glitterball trophy this year.

Despite the long training hours, the pair seem to be getting along well and were deep in conversation during their stroll.

Tom and Nadiya were decked head-to-toe in workout gear for the outing, with the former cutting a casual figure in a black Under Armour T-shirt and joggers, paired with sports trainers.

The pro dancer displayed her toned physique in a black gym set featuring high-waist leggings and a bralette.

Strictly stars Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova looked in high spirits as they took a break from dance rehearsals to enjoy a walk around London on Thursday

The British Olympic champion, 24, and Ukrainian professional dancer, 35, are hoping to beat off the rest of the competition and take home the Glitterball trophy this year

Opting for comfort, Nadiya teamed the rehearsals attire with trainers, taking her grey sweatshirt off to make the most of the sunshine.

She wore her blonde tresses down and accessorised with silver hoop earrings, showcasing her natural beauty with a no-makeup look.

The duo put on an animated display as they walked around the capital, with Tom waving his arms around during the conversation.

Nadiya joined the show in 2017 and will no doubt be keen to get back on the dancefloor after she wasn’t given a celebrity partner last year.

Swimmer Tom caused a stir last month when he accidentally revealed he’d signed up for Strictly before it was announced.

The BBC go to great lengths to keep the celebrities taking part in each series top secret and stars usually don’t comment on speculation until it’s officially confirmed.

But Tom confirmed he is getting ready to take to the dancefloor while speaking after the men’s 200 metres individual medley at the Olympics in Paris.

Thankfully, he didn’t receive a punishment, as when asked by MailOnline if he was told off for the slip up, he confessed: ‘No, not too badly. A few people mentioned it but not too bad.’

Despite the long training hours, the pairing seem to be getting along well and were deep in conversation during their stroll

Tom and Nadiya were decked head-to-toe in workout gear for the outing, with the former cutting a casual figure in a black Under Armour T-shirt and joggers, paired with sports trainers

The duo put on an animated display as they walked around the capital, with Tom waving his arms around during the conversation

Opting for comfort, Nadiya teamed the rehearsals attire with trainers, taking her grey sweatshirt off to make the most of the sunshine

Nadiya joined the show in 2017 and will no doubt be keen to get back on the dancefloor after she wasn’t given a celebrity partner last year

The gold medal winner went on to admit that despite competing on the world’s stage in swimming, he’s more nervous about dancing in front of the nation.

Revealing to Claudia his concerns with dancing on his delicate feet, Tom explained on the Strictly launch show: ‘We don’t do any land stuff, no running or jumping, so I’ve never really gone against gravity in my sporting career.

‘Running, jumping, and twisting are all totally new to me, so I’m slowly trying to build up strength in these delicate feet of mine!’

In an earlier interview, he confessed: ‘I didn’t get really nervous at the Olympics. I think it’s because it’s what I do every single day.

‘I’ve got a feeling when we get announced and when we walk out, it’s going to be slightly different. I might be a little bit more nervous because it’s so different to what I do every day, but you know, who knows, we’ll see…

‘We haven’t done loads of training, so I’m just trying to focus more on getting my own moves right at the moment, but I feel like once we’ll start to get into it, you know, it’s a competition. So I’m gonna want to do well.’

Meanwhile, Nadiya expressed her excitement about Tom’s Olympic achievements, gushing: ‘I’m super happy, he’s not just a swimmer… he’s a winner!’

Asking the judges what they’re thinking about the upcoming series, Motsi Mabuse exclaimed: ‘I love what I see. Great personalities!’

Swimmer Tom caused a stir last month when he accidentally revealed he’d signed up for Strictly before it was announced

Tom made sure to bring his array of gold medals with him to show off on the Strictly sofa, and he will be hoping to add a glitterball to the collection

Meanwhile, Nadiya expressed her excitement about Tom’s Olympic achievements, gushing: ‘I’m super happy, he’s not just a swimmer… he’s a winner!

Giving them some advice for their first group number, Anton Du Beke explained: ‘I am just looking out for no casualties, if they can start and end with the same partner they will be absolutely fine.’

Adding her piece of advice, Shirley quipped: ‘Being on live TV there is going to be a lot of nerves. But embrace every nerve and it will be fine.’

Meanwhile bad cop Craig Revel Horwood said: ‘They have a lot to say and the banter upstairs was brilliant. I know the show is going to be just as brilliant’