Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has spoken out about the impact Strictly Come Dancing has on the mental health of those involved.
Rachel met her now husband, Pasha Kovalev, 41, on the show in 2013 and the following year he was partnered with the late Love Island host Caroline Flack.
Pasha and Caroline went onto win the 2014 series, but Rachel admitted that her husband still struggles to speak about Caroline's tragic death.
Speaking of Caroline’s legacy, she said: “Caroline Flack's was such a tragic story; even Pasha struggles to talk about it.
"I would prefer not to, apart from to say, I read some of her interviews where she discussed her depression after Strictly and, I agree, it does mess with your head,”.
Rachel admitted to The Times she has warned her friends against appearing in the dance contest saying: “I advise friends not to go on the show and I know people who have dropped out of it due to the mental pressures involved.
“I don't think there is enough awareness of the psychological effects it has. I am a maths geek, not a performer.
“Having ten million viewers sitting in judgment of you, not to mention the actual judges? You need to be very mentally strong not to let that affect your self-worth,”
During another candid chat with MailOnline she revealed she avoids watching the BBC show altogether after undergoing therapy to mentally recover from her experience.
She explained: "It still terrifies me. I've had CBT since because it was so terrifying,"
"I just avoid it to be honest."
Rachel and Pasha were married in 2019 before welcoming their first child, Maven, together the same year.
Their second baby is due this month. The Countdown co-host announced her pregnancy news back in April.
Rachel is this month also releasing a new maths book called At Sixes and Sevens.
She admitted she wasn’t sure which would arrive first – the book or the baby.
In sharing the snaps of her bump, she captioned it, ‘When, at the end of a successful photoshoot for the cover of my new maths book #atsixesandsevens, the fabulous @rayburmiston asked if I wanted a quick bump shot the answer was hell yeah!
“Five minutes extra and pics to treasure forever – thanks Ray. Not sure which will be out first between the book and the baby but the book’s release date is 28th October and both are cooking nicely."
