BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Nick Knowles says fiancée questioned their relationship after 'vile' online abuse

The Strictly Come Dancing star says that his lingerie entrepreneur fiancee Katie Dadzie is subjected to racist abuse and accused of being a 'gold digger'.

Nick Knowles has opened up about the "vile" and racist abuse his fiancée Katie Dadzie endures online, which has led her to question their relationship.

The Strictly Come Dancing star revealed that Katie, a lingerie entrepreneur, faces "horrible racist abuse" and is often labelled a "gold digger" whenever photos of them surface on the internet. Despite the 27-year age gap, Nick, 62, praises Katie, 34, for being "super-intelligent" and "capable" within her own right.

The couple, who have been together since 2021 after meeting through their children, initially didn't hit it off, with Katie admitting she "didn't like" Nick at first. However, they connected during lockdown phone calls and discovered shared interests, reports the Express.

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While they "love each other very much" Nick acknowledges the strain the negative comments have put on Katie. Speaking to The Times, he said: "It's really unpleasant and unfair."

"Katie's a mum of two, she's super-intelligent, capable, within just eight months her lingerie brand was stocked by Next. But you just get people being properly vile. So you understand when she goes, 'I don't know if I want to be around this.'"

Nick, who has experienced two divorces, proposed to Katie in New Orleans in 2021, initially with a Haribo ring before giving her a diamond engagement ring. He has not tried to convince her to stay but affirms their strong love for one another.

Nick has previously hit back at trolls for their comments about Katie. In 2022, he was left "raging" after she was targeted on social media platform X when they were photographed together.

He posted: "The woman I was out to dinner with when we were papped is 32, has degrees in two subjects, runs three businesses, is a mother of two, is wealthier and more successful than me and is intelligent and independent unlike the abusive trolls attacking her. What happened to #bekind? "

Nick will be taking to the dancefloor with partner Luba Mushtuk once again on Saturday for the third week of Strictly Come Dancing. Although he suffered a blow during the contest as he sustained a shoulder while changing a tyre on his car.

He also shared images of a heavily bruised arm this week, and mentioned that he was receiving treatment from a physiotherapist. He added: ""He [the physio] is going to give me some strapping for my arm, my bad arm, which is improving fantastically every day."