RETIRED England rugby ace Ben Cohen has told a court he is “fighting to save his home and relationship” with ex-Strictly star fiancée Kristina Rihanoff.
The Russian ballroom dancer, 46, was caught driving her Audi Q3 without insurance in Horsemarket, Northampton, on April 4.
She appeared at Northampton Crown Court under her name Kristina Pchenitchnykh and sobbed throughout the hearing.
At one stage, the mum-of-one asked to leave the court room because she “felt sick”, reports the Northamptonshire Telegraph.
The couple, who are engaged, share daughter Mila, while Cohen also has twins Harriette and Isabelle from his previous marriage.
Cohen, 45, appearing as a witness, said: “I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.”
Questioned about strains on his relationship, he said: “We’re still living together. We’re in it financially.
“We’re in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with.
“I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It’s just another problem.”
Rihanoff and Cohen had been partnered up for the 11th series of the BBC show in 2013.
Cohen left his wife Abbie Bray for the dancer.
Earlier this year Cohen suggested they had plans to “marry in secret” but were currently focused on their businesses, reports the MailOnline.
The court heard the couple set up multiple businesses, including a yoga studio, which was hit badly by Covid.
Cohen was appearing as a witness and admitted to overlooking a text from his insurance company prior to the incident.
He confirmed he was solely responsible for sourcing insurance for the couple’s cars.
Rihanoff was slapped with six points on her licence but faced a ban for totting up 12 penalty points.
Friday’s hearing was to appeal the conviction.
Rihanoff told the court she needed to drive to judge ballroom competitions across the UK, as well as take her children to school.
Cohen said he had taken out a policy with Dial Direct on February 22 but was abroad when he received a text telling him it would be cancelled unless he provided no claims details.
He said he didn’t have a no claims bonus so didn’t send any details as it “wasn’t relevant to me” and the policy was cancelled on March 7.
He added he “wasn’t aware” it had been cancelled at the time of the incident in April.
Recorder Cox said she had “every sympathy” but denied the appeal.
