Nikita Kuzmin

{{Infobox person

|image = NikitaKuzmin.png

|caption = Kuzmin in 2023

|birth_name =

|native_name = Нікіта Кузьмін

|native_name_lang = Ukrainian

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1997|12|23}}

|birth_place = Kyiv, Ukraine

|height =

|known_for = Let's Dance
Strictly Come Dancing
Celebrity Big Brother

|occupation = Dancer
Choreographer
Presenter

|relatives = Anastasia Kuzmina (sister)

}}

Nikita Kuzmin (Ukrainian: Нікіта Кузьмін; born 23 December 1997) is a Ukrainian dancer and choreographer. He is best known for being a professional dancer on the RTL and BBC One dance competitions Let's Dance and Strictly Come Dancing. Kuzmin is also the holder of six Italian Championship titles.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/19/strictly-come-dancing-2021-four-new-professional-dancers-revealed-14950451/|last=Adejobi|first=Alicia|title=Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Four new professional dancers announced ahead of new series|work=Metro|date=19 July 2021|access-date=3 February 2023}} In 2024 he was the runner-up on the 23rd series of Celebrity Big Brother.

Early life

Kuzmin was born on 23 December 1997 in Kyiv, Ukraine.{{cite magazine|magazine=WEB.DE|url=https://web.de/magazine/unterhaltung/thema/nikita-kuzmin|title=Nikita Kuzmin|access-date=3 February 2023}} His family moved to Italy when Kuzmin was nine. At 13 years of age he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/19/strictly-come-dancing-2021-who-are-the-new-dancers-14951104/|last=Schwab Dunn|first=Billie|title=Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Who are the new dancers?|date=19 July 2021|access-date=3 February 2023}} He has an older sister, Anastasia Kuzmina, who has appeared as a professional dancer on Ballando con le Stelle. He has lived in Frankfurt, Germany since the age of 18.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/let-s-dance-2020-profitaenzer-nikita-kuzmin-tanzt-bei-seinem-debuet-mit-sabrina-setlur-4480930.html|title=Nikita Kuzmin ist als Profitänzer in der 13. "Let's Dance"-Staffel dabei|agency=RTL|lang=de|date=22 February 2020|access-date=3 February 2023}}

Career

=''Let's Dance''=

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"

!Season

!Partner

!Place

|Sabrina Setlur

|13th

In 2020, Kuzmin became a professional dancer on the RTL dance competition Let's Dance for the 13th season, where he was partnered with rapper Sabrina Setlur.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.de/promis/855825202/nikita-kuzmin-privat-als-single-mit-freund-oder-freundin-liiert-lets-dance-strictly-come-dancing-nicole-wirt-schwester-anastasia/1/|title=Nikita Kuzmin privat: Wie lebt der Let's Dance-Star abseits des Tanzparketts?|lang=de|date=20 July 2021|access-date=3 February 2023}} They were the second couple to be eliminated.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/let-s-dance-2020-sabrina-setlur-tanzt-mit-profitaenzer-nikita-kuzmin-4469360.html|title=Rapperin Sabrina Setlur schwingt bei Let's Dance ihr Tanzbein |lang=de |agency=RTL|date=11 March 2020|access-date=3 February 2023}} Kuzmin did not return for the 14th season.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/let-s-dance-aus-fuer-sabrina-setlur-nikita-kuzmin-ist-in-show-2-schluss-4500178.html|title=Sabrina Setlur muss nach der 2. Show das Tanzparkett verlassen |lang=de |date=9 March 2020|access-date=3 February 2023}}

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
style="text-align:Center;" !rowspan=2\|Week # !rowspan=2\|Dance/Song !colspan=3\|Judges' score !rowspan=2\|Result
style="text-align: center;" !style="width:10%; "\|Gonzalez !style="width:10%; "\|Mabuse !style="width:10%; "\|Llambi
style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|LS \|style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|Group Tango / "Hey Sexy Lady" \|style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|5 \|style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|5 \|style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|5 \|style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"\|No Elimination
style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"	1	Viennese Waltz / "Dangerous Woman"	4	4	1	Bottom two
style="text-align:center; text-align:center; background:#faf6f6; background:#faf6f6;"	2	Cha-Cha-Cha / "On the Floor"	5	5	2	Eliminated
style="text-align:center; text-align:center; background:#faf6f6; background:#faf6f6;"

=''Strictly Come Dancing''=

On 26 July 2021, Kuzmin was announced as one of four new professional dancers joining the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.{{cite web|work=Radio Times|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/talent-shows/strictly-come-dancing-2020-professional-dancers/|last=Daly|first=Helen|title=Strictly Come Dancing 2021 professional dancers: Meet the confirmed line-up|date=31 March 2022|access-date=3 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a37509346/strictly-come-dancing-2021-start-date-professional-dancers/|title=Strictly Come Dancing shares new look at 2021 professional dancers and confirms start date|date=8 September 2021|website=Digital Spy|last=Sarrubba|first=Stefania|access-date=3 February 2023}} Upon joining the show, Kuzmin said "I've always been amazed by the magic Strictly Come Dancing brings and that no matter what country I have found myself living in, I've never missed a chance to watch it. Joining it as a professional dancer is my big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor. I can't wait to give it my all."{{cite news|date=19 July 2021|access-date=3 February 2023|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57887945|title=Strictly Come Dancing: Greatest Dancer winner joins professional dancer line-up|agency=BBC News}} Kuzmin has also previously worked for judge Motsi Mabuse's dance company in Germany.{{Cite web|url=https://motsimabuse-dietanzschule.de/meine_trainer/nikita/|title=Nikita|access-date=3 February 2023}} In his first season, Kuzmin was paired with Tilly Ramsay; they were eliminated from the competition in week 10.{{cite news|last=Morris|first=Lauren|title=Who left Strictly Come Dancing? Ninth celebrity voted out revealed|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/who-left-strictly-come-dancing-week-ten-tilly-ramsay-newsupdate/|work=Radio Times|date=28 November 2021|access-date=3 February 2023}} In his second season, Kuzmin was paired with Ellie Simmonds; they were eliminated from the competition in week 7. In his third season, Kuzmin was paired with Layton Williams. They made it to the final where they finished as joint runners-up, alongside Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell, and behind series champions Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola. In his Fourth

season, Kuzmin was paired with Sam Quek; they were eliminated in week 7.

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"

!Series

!Partner

!Place

|Tilly Ramsay

|6th

|Ellie Simmonds

|10th

style=background:silver

|21

|Layton Williams

|2nd

|Sam Quek

|10th

Highest and lowest scoring per dance

class="wikitable sortable collapsed"

style="text-align:Center; background:cc;"

!Dance

!Partner

!Highest

!Partner

!Lowest

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|American Smooth

| rowspan="4" | Layton Williams

| 34

| Sam Quek

| 29

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Argentine Tango

| 40

| Layton Williams

| 39

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Cha-cha-cha

| 37

| Ellie Simmonds

| 26

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Charleston

| rowspan="2" | 40

| Sam Quek

| 22

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Couple's Choice

| rowspan="2" | Tilly Ramsay

|Layton Williams

|39

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Foxtrot

| rowspan="2" | 36

|Sam Quek

| 23

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Jive

| rowspan="5" | Layton Williams

| Tilly Ramsay

| 27

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Paso Doble

| rowspan="2" | 40

| Sam Quek
Ellie Simmonds

| 30

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Quickstep

|Sam Quek

| 26

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Rumba

| 36

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Salsa

| 39

| Ellie Simmonds

| 30

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Samba

| Tilly Ramsay

| 30

| Sam Quek

| 28

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Showdance

| rowspan="3" | Layton Williams

| 39

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Tango

| 36

| Tilly Ramsay

| 31

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Viennese Waltz

| 28

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6"

|Waltz

| Ellie Simmonds

| 30

| Tilly Ramsay

| 21

==Performances with Tilly Ramsay==

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

style="text-align:Centre; background:#ccc;"

!rowspan=2|Week #

!rowspan=2|Dance / Song

!colspan=5|Judges' score

!rowspan=2|Result

style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"|

!style="width:10%;"|Revel Horwood

!style="width:10%;"|Mabuse

!style="width:10%;"|Ballas

!style="width:10%;"|Du Beke

!style="width:10%;"|Total

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Waltz / "Consequences"

|21

|No Elimination

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Charleston" / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby"

|{{green|34}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Jive / "The Nicest Kids in Town"

|27

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Paso Doble / "Diablo Rojo"

|32

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Foxtrot / "Little Things"

|36

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Cha-Cha-Cha / "Spooky Movies"

|35

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Tango / "Kings & Queens"

|31

|Bottom two

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Quickstep / "I Won't Dance"

|29

|Bottom two

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Couple's Choice / "Revolting Children"

|10*

|10

|{{green|40}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|10

|Samba / "Levitating"

|7*

|{{red|30}}

|Eliminated

{{green|Green}} number indicates when Tilly and Nikita were at the top of the leaderboard.
{{red|Red}} number indicates when Tilly and Nikita were at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Score given by guest judge Cynthia Erivo

==Performances with Ellie Simmonds==

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

style="text-align:Centre; background:#ccc;"

style="text-align:Center; background:#ccc;"

!rowspan=2|Week #

!rowspan=2|Dance / Song

!colspan=5|Judges' score

!rowspan=2|Result

style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"|

!style="width:10%;"|Revel Horwood

!style="width:10%;"|Mabuse

!style="width:10%;"|Ballas

!style="width:10%;"|Du Beke

!style="width:10%;"|Total

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Cha-Cha-Cha / "Dance"

|26

|No Elimination

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Waltz / "Can't Help Falling in Love"

|30

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Quickstep / "Peppy and George"

|27

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Salsa / "I Love Your Smile"

|30

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Paso Doble / "Montagues and Capulets"

|30

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Foxtrot / "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"

|29

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Charleston / "Too Darn Hot"

|33

|Eliminated

==Performances with Layton Williams==

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"

!rowspan=2|Week #

!rowspan=2|Dance / Song

!colspan=5|Judges' scores

!rowspan=2|Result

style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"|

| style="width:10%;" |Horwood

| style="width:10%;" |Mabuse

| style="width:10%;" |Ballas

| style="width:10%;" |Du Beke

| style="width:6%;" |Total

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Samba / "Touch"

|29

|{{nowrap|No Elimination}}

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Quickstep / "Puttin' On The Ritz"

|{{green|36}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|{{nowrap|Viennese waltz / "There Are Worse Things I Could Do}}"

|28

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Cha-cha-cha / "Million Dollar Bill"

|10

|{{green|37}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Salsa / "Quimbara"

|10

|{{green|39}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Tango / "Vampire"

|36

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Jive / "Shake Ur Body"

|10

|36

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Argentine tango / "Tattoo"

|10

|{{green|39}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Couple's Choice / "Ain't No Other Man"

|10

|{{green|39}}

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|10

|American Smooth / "It's Oh So Quiet"

|34

|bgcolor=lightblue|Bottom two

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|11

|Paso doble / "Backstage Romance"

|10

|{{green|40}}

|No elimination

style ="text-align: center; background: #faf6f6;"

|12

|Rumba / "Lift Me Up"
Charleston / "Fit as a Fiddle"

|9
10

|36
{{green|40}}

|Safe

style ="text-align: center; background: #faf6f6;"

|13

|Quickstep / "Puttin' On The Ritz"
Showdance / "Friend Like Me"
Argentine tango / "Tattoo"

|10
9
10

|10
10
10

|{{green|40}}
{{green|39}}
{{green|40}}

|bgcolor=silver|Runner-up

{{green|Green}} number indicates when Layton and Nikita were at the top of the leaderboard.

==Performances with Sam Quek==

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

! rowspan="2" |Week #

! rowspan="2" |Dance / Song

! colspan="5" |Judges' scores

! rowspan="2" |Result

style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"

| style="width:10%;" |Horwood

| style="width:10%;" |Mabuse

| style="width:10%;" |Ballas

| style="width:10%;" |Du Beke

| style="width:6%;" |Total

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Foxtrot / "Where Did Our Love Go"

|23

|No Elimination

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Charleston / "The Charleston"

|22

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Paso Doble / "Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)"

|30

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Samba / "Hips Don't Lie"

|28

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Quickstep / "Unwritten"

|26

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|Jive / "Time Warp"

|31

|Safe

style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"

|American Smooth / "Love Story"

|29

|Eliminated

Other work

In March 2024 Kuzmin entered the Celebrity Big Brother house as a housemate on the 23rd series.{{cite web |title=Celebrity Big Brother 2024 cast: Confirmed line-up |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/celebrity-big-brother-2024-cast-line-up/}} He finished the series in second place behind David Potts of Ibiza Weekender fame.https://uk.news.yahoo.com/celebrity-big-brother-2024-live-154249801.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

In September 2024 Kuzmin announced he would appear with Jowita Przystał at "Dancing with the Stars Weekends" 2025.{{cite web |date=7 September 2022 |title=5* Weekend Break with the Stars of BBC Strictly Come Dancing |url=https://www.donaheys.co.uk/events/wales-dancing-holiday/ |access-date=3 February 2023 |website=donaheys.co.uk}}

Personal life

In March 2022, Kuzmin appeared on Lorraine to discuss his fears for his grandmother living in Ukraine following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web |date=3 March 2022 |title=Lorraine Kelly in tears as Strictly star Nikita pleads for Ukraine crisis help |url=https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/lorraine-kelly-tears-strictly-star-23272751 |access-date=3 February 2023 |website=edinburghlive}} They were later reunited.{{cite web |date=12 March 2022 |title=Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin Reunited With Grandmother As She Escapes Kyiv |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nikita-kuzmin-grandma-reunited-ukraine-escapes-kyiv_uk_622c708fe4b0317d0a3141d3 |access-date=3 February 2023 |website=HuffPost}}

In October 2023, Kuzmin was reported to be dating a model called Lauren Jaine.{{Cite web |date=18 October 2023 |title=Meet Strictly star Nikita Kuzmin's new girlfriend Lauren Jaine |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/505006/meet-strictly-star-nikita-kuzmins-new-girlfriend-lauren-jaine/ |website=HELLO!}}

He is a Type 1 diabetic, having been diagnosed at the age of 13. His CGM sensor is often visible in his Strictly Come Dancing costumes.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-14 |title=Strictly star Nikita Kuzmin's fears about 'career-ending' diabetes |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/504613/strictly-star-nikita-kuzmin-fears-about-career-ending-diabetes/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=HELLO! |language=en}}

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Channel

!Role

2020

| Let's Dance

|RTL

|Professional dancer (Season 13)

2021–present

|Strictly Come Dancing

|BBC One

|Professional dancer (Seasons 19–22)

rowspan="2" | 2024

| The Weakest Link

|BBC One

|Contestant; 1 episode. {{Cite web |title=BBC One - The Weakest Link, Series 3, Episode 11 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001wklt |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}

Celebrity Big Brother

|ITV1

|Runner-up; series 23