Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen announce engagement nine years after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro

Kristina and Ben met nine years ago while dancing together on the show (Picture: Steve Thorne/Getty Images)

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen have announced they’re finally engaged after nine years together.

And according to the pro dancer, Ben’s Maldives proposal was ‘the biggest surprise’ of her life.

The romantic moment was sprung on the Strictly star in the middle of the couples’ 16-day holiday during a boat trip to a neighbouring island.

Landing on the shore, Kristina was met by a lantern-lit heart and the words, ‘Will you marry me?’, written in the sand.

The Russian dancer, 45, told Hello magazine: ‘Although we’d talked before about getting married one day, I hadn’t the slightest idea that Ben was planning this.

‘I was overcome with emotion and said “Yes, yes and yes” straight away.

The pair got engaged during a romantic getaway to the Maldives (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Ben and Kristina share a daughter together, Mila (Picture: Steve Thorne/Getty Images)

‘My first reaction was wow. It was absolutely surreal and I couldn’t believe what was happening.

‘I’m usually very perceptive but I didn’t have a clue Ben had been planning this. How he managed to keep it a secret was amazing.’

Ben, a former professional rugby player, said: ‘I wanted us to go further forward together and taking a holiday in such a beautiful place felt like the perfect moment to do that.

‘Setting the scene had to be really special and with the help of members of staff at the resort, we achieved that.

‘It was truly incredible and blew me away.’

The couple addressed how they dealt with rocky times during the pandemic (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

The couple, who run a wellbeing and fitness centre together in Northampton, met when they were partnered up on the 11th series of Strictly in 2013, and share a daughter, Mila.

Touching on problems they encountered during the pandemic, she continued: ‘It’s easy to love someone when everything’s rosy but it’s a different story when life becomes a challenge.’

Weighing in, Ben echoed her thoughts: ‘Every love story has its honeymoon period but that eventually goes.

‘Love has different meanings and for me, that’s a relationship with a partner who’s been through difficult times with me and together we move forward.

‘She’s the person I want in my life forever.’

On June 24, 2016, the couple welcomed daughter Milena, shortening the Slavic name to Mila, at Northampton General Hospital.

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