Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff’s four year dance comes to an end

They met when they were paired up to dance together for Strictly Come Dancing in 2009.

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by Jessica Anais Rach |
Published on

But after four years together, boxing champion Joe and dance professional Kristina have announced they are going their separate ways.

The pair have blamed their busy schedules for the ‘mutually and amicable’ split.

Whilst Kristina often spends her time travelling around the country due to dancing commitments, Joe spends most of his time in Wales with his teenage sons.

Kristina and Joe at the beginning of their romance in 2009
Kristina and Joe at the beginning of their romance in 2009

Joe, 41, told a UK newspaper:

'We have spent less and less time together'

‘Kristina and I have had several terrific years together. She is a wonderful woman but we have mutually and amicably decided to go our separate ways.

‘Various demands on time have meant we have spent less and less time together.

‘That will become more so in the coming months, so it seems wise to end our relationship now as friends.’

The father-of-two also admitted to having a drug habit, revealing:

‘I very much regret my occasional use of cocaine in what have sometimes been the long days since my retirement from the ring.’

Kristina has a busy dance schedule

But 35-year-old Kristina, who has now moved out of Joe’s flat in London, appears to hold no grudge, telling a reporter:

‘Joe is a good man who I will always care about, but it makes sense to part company now.

‘It is nothing but amicable, and we will have nothing but good memories and good thoughts about each other.’

Kristina has signed up for the new series of Strictly, which returns to our screens in September, so the dancer faces a busy end to the year.

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