Nadiya Bychkova is reportedly being comforted by her Strictly Come Dancing celebrity partner Tom Dean after her split from Kai Widdrington.
The Ukranian beauty, 35, is said to have been enjoying lunch dates with the Olympic swimmer, 24, who has been her ‘rock’ since her breakup.
Nadiya – who split from Kai, 29, last July – has already met some of Tom’s family and recently joined him and his sister Connie for dinner at Bocconcino restaurant in London’s Mayfair.
It’s not just Nadiya who is single again as Tom recently called off his relationship with his longterm girlfriend Charlotte Phillips.
Sources close to London-born Tom told MailOnline the relationship had been on the rocks for some time due to the pair ‘drifting apart’ and insist Nadiya was not a factor.
Nadiya Bychkova is reportedly being comforted by her Strictly Come Dancing celebrity partner Tom Dean after her split from Kai Widdrington
Nadiya split from fellow Strictly star Kai (pictured) in July and sources have said Tom has been her ‘rock’ as of late
An insider told The Sun: ‘Nadiya and Tom have comforted each other following their break-ups.
‘Nadiya and Tom were both gutted that they didn’t go further in the competition, but have been able to get to know each other away from the dancefloor.’
‘Nadiya has always said that Tom is a complete gentleman. He’s been a rock to her since she split from Kai.’
The dance partners have been seen attending various events together, including last month’s Pride of Britain Awards as part of their Strictly commitments.
Tom became the first celebrity to leave Strictly this year after losing his place in the competition to Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones, who were voted off the following week.
He admitted to feeling ‘genuinely shocked’ and ‘gutted’ after receiving the fewest number of votes from the public and waltzing off the show in week one.
Tom last posted a photo of Lottie on Instagram back in August, where they snuggled together in an office lift.
He regularly shared an insight into the couple’s relationship online such as holidays they shared together and an image from his welcome home party following the Paris Olympics, which featured Lottie.
A source said: ‘Nadiya has always said that Tom is a complete gentleman. He’s been a rock to her since she split from Kai’
It’s not just Nadiya who is single again as Tom recently called off his relationship with his longterm girlfriend Charlotte Phillips
The Olympic swimmer secretly ended his relationship with communications exec Charlotte two weeks into the current series
But the executive had been absent from his Instagram for months while Tom continued to post about his Strictly pairing with Nadiya.
They attended October’s Pride of Britain Awards and last week enjoyed a lunch event together at The Waterside Inn, where a host of chefs cooked them ‘incredible food.’
Tom commented on a post Nadiya shared of the pair: ‘What an afternoon. Best food and best company.’
The three-time Olympic gold medallist was Nadiya’s first Strictly partner in a year after she wasn’t given a celebrity for the first time in 2023.
She was paired with singer Matt Goss in 2022 and the year before starred alongside former BBC Breakfast Show host Dan Walker, of whom she remains close friends.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist was Nadiya’s first Strictly partner in a year after she wasn’t given a celebrity for the first time in 2023
Nadiya reportedly leads a string of Strictly professionals who are at risk of being axed from the series.
According to reports, bosses are keen to give the show a ‘huge shake-up’, starting with the professional dancers at the centre of the programme.
It follows a year of scandal surrounding the dance competition after Graziano Di Prima was sacked for his poor treatment of celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Tom’s fleeting appearance on Strictly will have come as a shock to him as he usually excels in a competitive environment.
He reached the final of the men’s 200m individual medley at the Paris Olympics and was part of the men’s 4x200m freestyle gold-medal winning team.
Three years previously, he won gold in the 200m freestyle and the men’s 4x200m freestyle at the Tokyo Games.
Tom was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours in 2022 for his services to swimming.