After 20 years of sparkle – and the show’s recent scandals – everybody knows that Strictly is an intense programme to take part in. But three weeks into rehearsals, the intensity has come as quite a shock to celebrity competitor Nick Knowles, 61, his fiancée Katie Dadzie exclusively tells Closer.
‘I think it’s different to what I expected,’ she reveals, speaking over Zoom from the home the couple live in with her two daughters aged six and 10. ‘We knew that it would be hard work, but he is shattered every day when he comes back. He’s near enough crawling into the house.’
The Boa Boa lingerie founder, 33, wasn’t the one to push Nick to take part in Strictly. ‘He had done a dance in Buenos Aires, the Tango, and he was quite keen after that,’ Katie says, explaining that Nick’s DIY SOS filming schedule in the winter would usually prevent him from competing. ‘I was keen for him to try it, so we were very supportive of that decision.’
From day one, Nick’s partner, Russian-British dancer Luba Mushtuk, was enthusiastic about spending time with Katie and having her and their kids come along to rehearsals. ‘She was really keen to be introduced to me straight off the bat when they were paired together, which was really lovely,’ Katie recalls. According to her, Nick’s dance skills are already showing a ‘massive improvement’.
With dad-of-four Nick having popped the question to Katie last summer, proposing after two years of dating with a placeholder Haribo ring, the influencer hasn’t been worried about her man straying due to the infamous ‘Strictly curse’. For one thing, Katie’s lack of Strictly knowledge meant she didn’t really know what the phenomenon was.
‘I didn’t think it needed talking about,’ she says. ‘It’s not a concern. We are planning a wedding and we live together, so I’m very happy that that’s not an issue. He is like a shell of a man at the moment – he’s exhausted. I think the last thing on his mind is any kind of Strictly curse!’
It’s been a busy time for both Nick and Katie, who set up Boa Boa, a lingerie business proudly catering to a variety of ages, sizes and body shapes, in the last year. For a year, their home has been filled with boxes, but Katie says Nick has always been extremely supportive of her venture.
Now, it’s her turn to be in Nick’s corner. Last week, the presenter revealed that he’d lost 13kg in Strictly training already, with Katie saying he ‘looks much better’ already.
‘It’s a lot more physical exertion than he’s done in quite some time, [but] he’s really confident in himself all of a sudden,’ she says.
That confidence hasn’t fully translated to his dance ability just yet – although Katie is more positive. ‘I’m obviously a little bit biased, but I’d love to say he would win,’ she says. ‘He’s never said, “Oh, I’m going to win”. He’s just said, ‘I’m going to be less rubbish”. I’m so proud of him.’