THEY are the hottest couple to come out of Strictly, and today pro dancers Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington reveal why stepping out together helps keep the romance alive.
Nadiya, 33, and 27-year-old Kai are backing The Big Step challenge, where The Sun has gone into partnership with NHS Charities Together to raise vital funds.
nadiyabychkova/instagramNadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington are backing The Sun’s Big Step Challenge[/caption]
PAThe couple fell in love after meeting on Strictly when Kai joined the hit BBC show in 2021[/caption]
And today would be the ideal time for YOU to join in — because it is National Walking Day.
We want you to get in shape and raise cash for pioneering new initiatives for patients and NHS staff.
By walking — or jogging or even dancing — either 5,000 or 10,000 sponsored steps every day in April and May, you can fundraise with your feet.
All the money raised will help important projects.
The challenge started on Saturday and has already attracted hundreds of sign-ups.
Nadiya and Kai believe the key to squeezing in those steps is to make exercise fun — and dance could be the perfect way to hit your target.
If you join in and don’t have a pedometer or other workout tracking device you can download a step-counting app on your smartphone, many of which are free.
Kai says: “I’m not much of a gym- goer.
“I try to get all my steps in when I’m dancing or taking our bulldog Snoopy for a walk, which Nadiya loves.
“For us, it’s really nice to be able to keep fit through dancing, and people can do it at their own home.
“Just put some music on.
“We love dancing and we are very lucky that we get to do a show where we get probably all of our 10,000 to 20,000 steps in.”
Nadiya adds: “You just need to do that first step. Make sure, ‘OK, I’m going to do this’, then commit to it.
“For me, this is a lifestyle to be fit and healthy. It makes me happy and I would love to encourage everyone else to do the same.
“When you start making it your daily routine, it makes you happier mentally and it makes you feel better physically.
“It’s nice to be around you when you feel happy. It’s all connected.”
Ukraine-born Nadiya, who has starred on Strictly since 2017 and is mum to six-year-old Mila, said that coming from another country makes her appreciate the incredible work the NHS does even more.
By walking — or jogging or even dancing — either 5,000 or 10,000 sponsored steps every day in April and May, you can fundraise with your feet
How to join in
JUST visit www.bigstep.co.uk.
You’ll be asked to create an account on fundraising platform JustGiving, which you share with friends, family and colleagues.
Track your steps with a free app on your smartphone, a pedometer or fitness tracker.
You can add your daily steps total to your fundraising page.
It’s free to take part, but NHS Charities Together encourages you to raise as much sponsorship as possible.
Every stepper will get a pair of red shoelaces for their first donation.
Raise more than £35 and you’ll receive a medal.
And if you hit £100 you’ll get a Big Step T-shirt.
She says: “I have my daughter, and as all kids probably get sick every now and then, the NHS has always been brilliant and looked after her.
“For me, obviously being in a different country where I’m not used to how things are, they’ve helped so much.
“We have some friends and even fans who work for the NHS.
“We are very thankful and if we can raise money with being active and healthy and help them as much as they help us, it’s a win-win.”
The couple fell in love after meeting on Strictly when Kai joined the hit BBC show in 2021.
They are now one week into their own 36-date nationwide tour, Once Upon A Time, which tells the story of their dance careers and romance.
Nadiya says: “This is the story of our careers, how we got where we are and where we want to go.
“As it’s the first tour, obviously we wanted people to know us a bit more.
“We make a good team. It is like living the dream — every night going out there and performing and thinking all those people came to watch us.
“That feeling is out of this world. It’s so beautiful to share those things with each other.
“We’ve had a lot of support from everyone. All the Strictly pros have been messaging us.
“Through WhatsApp and Instagram we can feel the support and everyone is very excited.
“I just spoke to Janette Manrara today, who said, ‘I can’t wait to see you guys’.”
Kai adds: “After our opening night we said, ‘I can’t believe we get to do this’.
“What better person to share the moment with, where your family is in the audience and you’ve just got a standing ovation for ten minutes?
“It’s very difficult to put into words so we just hugged for about five minutes. It was very emotional.”
For details of the Once Upon A Time tour, visit nadiyaandkai.com.
GettyNadiya and Kai believe the key to squeezing in those steps is to make exercise fun — and dance could be the perfect way to hit your target[/caption]
John McLellanThe couple are currently on their Once Upon A Time tour, which tells the story of their dance careers and romance[/caption] Read More