David James was thrilled by rumours he was secretly dating Nadiya Bychkova because it suggested they had "chemistry".
The \'Strictly Come Dancing\' star - who is engaged to Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot - was romantically linked to the former England star during their time on the show, and David thought the rumours proved they were "going in the right direction".
She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "You have to have chemistry. Chemistry is important on the dance floor. But it doesn\'t always mean that something is going on off-camera.
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"I remember David saying if there are rumours of a romance between us, we must be going in the right direction because that\'s how it should look."
Nadiya admitted that she and David quickly developed a close relationship.
She said: "It\'s a very unique situation when you are dancing with someone on \'Strictly\' because you have to become a team and learn to trust each other very quickly.
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"There are only seven days between the coupling up and the first show. And because of the whole situation - the pressure, the nerves - you really get to know each other.
"David had a hard time on the show because he had so many injuries to deal with. He had to stop every hour to stretch. But I think he did an amazing job."
Nadiya also confessed that her close friendships with dance partners has been "difficult" for Matija.
She explained: "Matija meets all my partners and he\'s around on the show, so he knows exactly how it is.
"But it looks different to people when you\'re performing a romantic dance - a lovely Viennese waltz, where you need to pretend that you are in love.
"Then, as with David, there are pictures which are like, \'What is going on here?\' But as long as the people around me know the truth, that\'s all that matters."
26 March 2026 - 4:39 AM
28 February 2026 - 4:36 AM
