STRICTLY stars Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen have dropped subtle clues they had secretly split months ago.
The ex-England rugby star dumped his wife Abby to date Russian pro Kristina after being paired on the dancefloor in 2013.
Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen dropped clues they had split months ago[/caption]
But pals have now confirmed Kristina and Ben have parted after financial difficulties tore the relationship apart.
And it looks like the former couple had dropped clues that their marriage was over months before The Sun revealed it yesterday.
Social media silence
Ben has not shared a photo with Kristina since November 2023[/caption]
Kristina shared a family photo with Ben in August 2024[/caption]
The pair have recently been quiet on social media when it comes to sharing photos or updates as a couple.
Although Ben has been posting about rugby and topless snaps from a photoshoot, he has failed to include wife Kristina in any of his posts.
He last shared a photo with Kristina back in November 2023.
The picture shows them smiling at an awards do after Ben won the Webb Ellis Trophy after helping defeat Australia in the 2003 final.
While Kristina has not shared a photo with Ben since August 2024.
She shared a post last summer to celebrate their eight-year-old daughter Mila’s win at a dance competition.
The proud mum captioned it: “AND THE WINNER IS…MILA COHEN.
“It was truly special and beautiful for Ben and I to witness the moment yesterday when Mila won Le Classic Juvenile soloist of the year in Ballroom & Latin.
“Mummy & daddy had to keep the promise to Mila and give her a ‘ YES’ day so we celebrated it today with loads of activities, mini golf, arcades, sweeties and ice cream.”
No interview mentions
The pair have kept tight-lipped about their marriage woes when it comes to the press.
Kristina’s latest interview with Closer, the dancer failed to mention Ben, but did say that she was feeling more “confident” as she ages.
She said: “Looking at my old pictures on Strictly Come Dancing made me feel a little down.
“When I look back, I feel a bit insecure – I know we’re 10 years on and that I can’t really compare myself, but ageing can be difficult to accept.
“It wasn’t that I want to look like I did in my 30s, but I do want to look good for my age.”
Ben’s last interview was with the Telegraph and he also did not open delve into details about his marriage and relationship.
In his December 2024 interview, he spoke about his love of rugby – but also discussed how your career as a sportsman ends at 30.
He said: “It meant everything, winning a World Cup.
“The bigger issue for me was that I just didn’t get a skill set or a life skill, and now I think, well, OK, winning a World Cup doesn’t really bring me anything. It’s not like it’s a degree, you know.
“I probably wish I’d got a skill set and a steady job. Then I probably would have looked the other way and thought ‘I wish I could have been a sportsman’.
“But the reality is I would probably rather have been over [on that other side], because it’s going to suit me for the rest of my life, instead of a portion of my life.
“When you sort of get [to retirement] you think: ‘I’m in my 30s, who am I?’ And at that point you think, I am lonely here, this is sink or swim.”
Cryptic quotes
Kristina shared a cryptic quote about turbulent times[/caption]
The ballroom dancer also took to her social media to share a quote about turbulent times in her life in a further hint to her split.
It read: “You look at moving forward and solutions. There are always ups and downs – more downs probably than ups.
“You just have to move forward and look at the future.”
The Sun revealed yesterday that the pair had split.
A friend said: “Ben left his wife Abby for Kristina, only to now split with her.
“It’s like the curse in reverse.
“This will be like karma for Abby, she was so upset when Ben left her.
“It’s like he has got his comeuppance.”
Ben, 46, and Kristina, 47, who have an eight-year-old daughter, have put their £1.75million house in Northampton on the market and Ben has been removed as a director of their joint yoga business.
A pal said: “The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart.
“For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals.
“Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it’s over and it looks like there’s no going back.”
Their split means the curse of Strictly now appears to be cursed itself.
Ben, who won the rugby World Cup in 2003, split from Abby — his wife of 11 years and the mother of his two daughters — after being paired with Kristina.
Earlier that year Kristina had split from boxer Joe Calzaghe — whom she had met on the 2009 series. Joe left his girlfriend of five years soon after joining the show.
Kristina has previously defended her relationship with Ben, saying: “People do meet at work and that’s where we work.”
The ex-England rugby star dumped his wife Abby to date Russian pro Kristina[/caption]
