Rachel Riley Opens Up About Strictly PTSD on Lorraine
- Rachel Riley called Strictly Come Dancing more stressful than swimming with sharks.
- She developed PTSD after her 2013 participation and avoids the show.
- Fans adored her ocean-themed dress during the Lorraine interview.
- Riley met her husband Pasha Kovalev on Strictly but won’t return.
- Her shark-diving show focused on conservation, changing perceptions about sharks.
Rachel Riley, the Countdown star, recently made headlines with her blunt remarks about Strictly Come Dancing. During an appearance on Lorraine, she claimed she’d rather face great white sharks than revisit the BBC dance competition.
While her comments sparked discussion, fans couldn’t ignore her stunning ocean-inspired dress, which stole the spotlight.
Speaking to Christine Lampard on Lorraine, Riley didn’t hold back when comparing her experience on Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters to Strictly Come Dancing.
“Blue sky and blue sea, you know what you’re getting,” she said. “Strictly is just a whole level of other stuff—I’d take great whites over Strictly.”.
Her statement reflects lingering trauma from her 2013 stint on the show, where she was partnered with her now-husband, Pasha Kovalev. Despite their love story, Riley admitted the competition left her with PTSD, requiring therapy to cope with anxiety triggered by the show’s theme music.
While she avoids watching Strictly, she praised her husband, calling him “amazing” .
Fans React to Rachel’s Bold LookThough her remarks were sharp, social media buzzed about her fashion choice. Her blue-and-white wave-patterned dress mirrored the marine theme of her shark-diving show, earning praise like “sensational” and “gorgeous” from fans.
Riley later shared behind-the-scenes footage from the Bahamas, joking that even nighttime dives near shipwrecks were “less scary than dancing on Strictly again”.
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Last Updated on August 1, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
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