Strictly star Nick Knowles’ fiancée 'clashed' with Luba Mushtuk in incident over rehearsal studio

Nick Knowles, 62, is engaged to his partner, lingerie business owner Katie Dazie, who is 27 years the DIY SOS star's junior - but there has reportedly been tension behind the scenes at Strictly between her and Luba

Nick Knowles' fiancée has reportedly clashed with his Strictly pro partner Luba Mushtuk after spending too much time in the rehearsal studio.

DIY SOS host Nick, 62, has been training for the BBC dance competition with professional dancer Luba, 34. But things seem to be getting tense between the two contestants and Nick's lingerie business owner fiancée, Katie Dadzie, 35, who he proposed to in 2022, following their two year relationship.

A source has claimed that Luba became uncomfortable around Katie, who reportedly kept showing up to rehearsals. Luba is said to have told others backstage that Katie's frequent "interruptions" have been making it difficult to teach Nick, as the pair get into some close positions when trying to rehearse their routines.

A source told The Sun : "Luba found the constant interruptions exasperating because she felt it was disturbing their training and routine. It was starting to affect how Luba could teach, given that she felt Katie’s eyes on her when they were in close holds. Luba is a complete professional but no one can deny that it is awkward having your partner’s girlfriend in the room. Katie seems to be very clingy to Nick." They added the tension had been discussed between Luba and others on the show, but since discussions took place, she has stayed away more.

The Mirror has contacted Nick and Luba's reps for comment.

Although Katie and Nick's relationship is strong now, they had a rough patch and had to find a way to keep the spark alive, after Katie considered binning the relationship off.

Before stepping into the Strictly ballroom, Nick and Katie opened up about their 27-year age gap in an exclusive interview with Closer, emphasising the importance of making quality time for each other amid hectic schedules.

Nick, who will be walking down the aisle for the third time, shared: "We try to do some amazing trips – we've just come back from Dubai which was fantastic. And we like to treat ourselves with overnight stays at Home House. It's a members' club in London and you don't need to be a member to stay there. The rooms are beautiful. It's almost like a museum because it's so stunning."

Businesswoman Katie, who runs lingerie line Boa Boa, added: "Nick is definitely a romantic. He cooks lovely dinners for me, something that he'll know I really like, especially when I'm not feeling great. We always have a date night where we’ll pick a really great restaurant. We also love hotel stays and nice holidays!"

It hasn't all been plain sailing for the couple, however, with mum-of-two Katie having initially struggled to cope with Nick's fame during the early days of their courtship. In an interview with The Times, husband-to-be Nick said that Katie was left devastated after online trolls subjected her to 'horrible, racist abuse'. He explained: "You just get people being properly vile. So you understand when she goes, 'I don't know if I want to be around this'."

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