Strictly’s Nadiya Bychkova cosies up to Kai Widdrington during rehearsals

Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington looked every inch the Strictly lovebirds during another day of rehearsals on Thursday.

The pro dancing couple wrapped their arms around one another as they headed out of the studio for a lunch break, after rehearsing the professional routines for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, which kicks off in September.

Nadiya, 32, showed off her incredible physique in a sporty pink crop top and leggings ensemble as the couple strolled to a local bistro.

The blonde showed some skin in her workout gear, which she layered under a smart white jacket.

The couple shared a tender moment with Kai, 26, wrapping his arm around Nadiya and kissing her forehead as they went off in search of lunch. 

Later, Nadiya beamed as she gripped her beau’s bicep for the stroll back to the studio, with the couple making sure they were well prepared for an afternoon of dancing with bottles of water and coffees. 

Nadiya has been dating her Strictly co-star since January, following her split from ex-fiancé Matija Škarabot, 34, in 2021, with whom she shares her daughter Mila, five. 

It Takes Two: The pro dancing couple wrapped their arms around one another as they headed out of the studio for a lunch break, after rehearsing the professional routines for Strictly 

The couple moved in together in May, with a source telling The Sun: ‘Moving in together was the obvious next step for Nadiya and Kai. They’ve grown so close and it just made sense. 

This week, the 19 professional dancers returned to the studios for group rehearsals, which will run throughout the summer, ahead of the 2022 instalment of the show.

And ex Strictly pro AJ Pritchard has warned that the new arrivals could be a threat.

Four new professional dancers have joined the line-up, which means that 20 in total are ready to bring their skills to the BBC show’s dancefloor later this year.

Wow: Nadiya, 32, showed off her incredible physique in a sporty pink crop top and leggings ensemble as the couple strolled to a local bistro

AJ, who left in 2020, told the Sunday Mirror: ‘I know Lauren and Carlos – because he was taught by one of my teachers, so it’s exciting.

‘I used to compete against Lauren. I think a fresh buzz could be interesting. I think everybody who does dancing is competitive. It will be interesting who gets partnered and who doesn’t. That’s the waiting game.’

The four new world class dancers completing this year’s professional troupe are European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas.

It’s serious: The couple moved in together in May, with a source telling The Sun: ‘Moving in together was the obvious next step for Nadiya and Kai

They join the professional dancers already revealed for the upcoming series: Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.

Show favourites Alijaz Skorjanec and Oti Mabuse both quit Strictly Come Dancing earlier this year.

Not every pro dancer will be paired with a celebrity with four traditionally performing only in the pro routines.

The upcoming series will be the first in three years to be broadcast without Covid measures, which forced bosses to introduce restrictions including ‘bubbles’ for training and limited audience numbers.

The celebrity competitors won’t be confirmed until later in the year with the latest rumours including Channel 4 presenter Steph McGovern, Coronation Street star Kym Marsh and former footballerv Tony ‘Donkey’ Adams.

New faces: The four new world class dancers completing this year’s professional troupe are European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas