Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly Come Dancing (Image: BBC)

Since joining the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Nikita Kuzmin has quickly become a fan favourite. In 2023, the Ukrainian-born professional dancer finished as runner-up alongside his celebrity partner, West End star Layton Williams.

This year, he’s been paired with Amber Davies and they’ve been wowing audiences with their performances, with fans left stunned as the Strictly partners found themselves in this week’s dance off. They were saved and will go on to compete on Saturday.

During his third series on the show, Kuzmin made history as part of this season’s only same-sex pairing. The duo have consistently impressed the judges with their routines, including their semi-final performance where they topped the leaderboard with a combined total of 116 points across two dances, according to Manchester Evening News.

Their Charleston even earned them a perfect score of 40 and a rare standing ovation from notoriously tough judge Craig Revel Horwood. Despite his success, Kuzmin remains humble and proud of his roots, describing himself on Instagram as “just a kid from Ukraine”.

Here’s everything you need to know about the talented dancer, from his battle with diabetes and mysterious tattoo, to his beloved cats and model partner, reports Wales Online.

His early life in Ukraine and Italy

Nikita, 25, originally from Ukraine, relocated to Italy with his family when he was just nine. His parents, Natalia and Levgen Kuzmin, also have another child, Anastasia, Nikita’s elder sister who shares his love for dance.

The siblings frequently share snapshots of their escapades on Instagram.

Nikita with Tilly Ramsay (Image: BBC / Guy Levy)

From an early age, Nikita nurtured a deep passion for dance, which propelled him to become a six-time Italian champion in Latin and ballroom dancing. He spent a year showcasing his skills as a professional dancer on the German version of Strictly Come Dancing – Let’s Dance, before being summoned by the UK competition in 2021.

Joining Strictly “changed everything”

Upon his induction into Strictly Come Dancing, he voiced his admiration for the “magic” the show exudes. In a conversation with the BBC, he said: “And joining it as a professional dancer is my big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor,” adding, “I can’t wait to give it my all!”.

Reflecting on the profound impact Strictly had on his life during an interview with Portsmouth News two years later, the professional dancer said: “I was born in Ukraine and lived and danced in three other countries – Italy, Denmark and Germany – before coming to the UK. But it was Strictly that made me feel 100% me.”

He added: “I’ve never been as creatively challenged as I was on that first series – and I couldn’t have been luckier in having Tilly Ramsay as my first partner. It felt like a match made in heaven.”

Nikita’s parents were able to witness their son perform live for the first time during Strictly 2023’s movie week, even getting a special mention from the studio. He told co-host Claudia Winkleman: “I’m really excited, really nervous, but it makes me feel like a kid. In the end I’m just a kid from Ukraine living his dream. It’s just special.”

Nikita’s sister Anastasia has also demonstrated her dancing prowess on the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle. She secured the title in 2012, dancing alongside Andrés Gil.

Furthermore, she has presented dance programmes throughout Europe including Ballando on the Road, Dance Battle and Happy Dance.

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly Come Dancing (Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

Nikita’s former Strictly partners

In 2021, Nikita’s debut Strictly partner was TV presenter and social media star Tilly Ramsay. The pair succeeded in achieving sixth place, just falling short of the quarter finals.

The subsequent year, in 2022, he was matched with Paralympian Ellie Simmonds. They became the sixth couple to depart the competition, just before the prestigious Blackpool performance.

2023 represented the first year Nikita reached the Tower Ballroom, dancing with his partner Layton Williams. Remarkably, they progressed to the final, but were beaten by actress Ellie Leach and her dance partner Vito Coppola.

Anguish over Ukraine-Russia war and worries for grandparents

Last year Nikita revealed his anxieties for his family during the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Appearing on ITV’s Loose Women, he disclosed that countless family members, including his grandparents, aunts and uncles, remained trapped in the conflict-torn nation.

He admitted that he contacted his grandparents “every single day”.

Soon after, he was thrilled to confirm that he had managed to rescue his grandmother following her escape to Poland.

He told his Instagram followers: “Picked up my grandma from Poland! She is so incredibly brave and strong, 2 nights without sleeping, walking 8km+ in the freezing cold, when on a normal day, she can barely walk!”.

“She travelled from Kiev, my mom flew from Rome and I drove from Frankfurt and we all reunited in Krakow! Just so happy to be together.”

He continued: “When I was waiting for my mom and grandma at the train station, I’ve been immersed in this situation for the first time in real life. Although I know I should have been happy for my family, I couldn’t. Just had tears on my eyes, because of how sad the situation is. How many thousands of kids and women doing their absolute best to stay strong.”

Diabetes being his ‘superpower’

Nikita was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child.

Now, he uses his platform to champion awareness about living with the condition and calls it his “superpower”. He recently told Instagram followers that he felt “proud to be diabetic”, acknowledging he experienced “good and bad days”.

He said: “Shared a bit of my personal story this morning and hope to send a little message to maybe that one person who needs a bit of positivity in a newfound condition. Your life will be fine! Everything is ok. You can manage everything!”.

Nikita Kuzmin and Amber Davies (Image: PA)

Speaking on Morning Live, he said: “When I found out, I thought: ‘my career’s over,’ and the next morning I woke up and I saw all those kids smiling and they were happy and they were diabetics just like me. I went out of my room and – this is one of my best memories in my life – there was this wall of fame.

“It was all of the famous, successful diabetics – Olympians, Paralympians, presidents, actors – everything. And actually, I think I made quite a few of them up because I thought there was quite a few more people than there actually were. I checked a couple of days ago and most of them were not even there.”

Mysterious tattoo, cat lover and stunning home

Strictly fans have long speculated about the significance behind a circle of inked numbers on his arm, with Nikita sharing a snap on Instagram with the puzzling caption: “What do the tattooed numbers mean on my arm? (wrong answers only)” – but refusing to disclose the true meaning.

Nikita typically maintains privacy around his personal affairs on social media but supporters will recognise he’s devoted to cats and he’s shared peeks of his opulent residence. The performer appears to have a knack for interior design, with his spacious living room decorated with colourful artwork and a striking wall clock made from individual vinyl records.

The dancer is the proud owner of two cats named Leo and Bagheera and seems to enjoy playing the guitar in his spare time, as suggested by photos shared by his girlfriend.

His girlfriend’s pictures reveal an acoustic guitar casually leaning against a tall, white mirror.