Kristina Reveals She Is Leaving Strictly

Kristina Rihanoff has revealed that she will not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing, and had decided to leave before she found out she was pregnant.

In an interview with Hello! magazine given before she entered the Big Brother house, Kristina said that her decision was based on the diminishing creative control she had on her routines: "Strictly takes a toll on your life. It's very intense and it's worth it if you feel like you are fulfilling yourself as an artist… those moments when you feel you have done great choreography to a great song and a good concept. But I feel some of that creativity was being taken out of my hands."

Despite that, Kristina is still sorry to be leaving: "It's a bittersweet situation. I was on Strictly for eight years and I always loved the dancing side of it, but I feel relieved because I wasn't happy towards the end. I'm also sad because I'm going to miss everyone. I will always be grateful for the fantastic opportunity that Strictly gave me to be part of such a brilliant show."

Kristina is a fantastic choreographer and teacher, and she will be missed on Strictly. She never won the glitterball, but made the final with Jason Donovan and Simon Webbe, with whom she went on to win the Strictly live tour.