That being said, Rachel did treasure one aspect of Strictly – being partnered with professional dancer Pasha Kovalev. Their romance blossomed following the show, with the couple confirming their relationship shortly after the series concluded in December 2013. They married in a Las Vegas ceremony on 28 June 2019.

Having witnessed first-hand the demands placed upon Pasha, Rachel recognised the reasons behind his choice to depart Strictly just months prior to their nuptials.

Speaking on Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things podcast last year, she outlined the gruelling schedule faced by Strictly professionals like Pasha: "They start doing the group dances right through to Christmas," she said. "He's mega-busy."

Rachel also noted that while appearing on Strictly, Pasha was hardly ideal company: "He's like a zombie, like a shell of a human that's got nothing to say for himself."

However, they found a way of coping with the demands, as Rachel revealed they made the most of their downtime: "So, as soon as he wasn't working, we kind of regrouped and we kept our relationship going by travelling in between the heavy workload."

This follows Pasha, 46, and Rachel, 40, recently discovering several minor "hidden health surprises" of which they had been entirely oblivious.

To increase their muscle mass, they've intentionally stepped up their daily activity levels. Rachel suggested taking up squash, which has since become a weekly pastime for the pair.

Pasha shared: "We try to do it every week, at least once a week, we've been successful so far."

The dancer revealed he had never held a squash racket before joining Rachel in the sport, but believes it's excellent for staying fit and supporting heart health.

Pasha noted that Rachel takes even more pleasure from their games as she invariably emerges victorious.

Dancing, which initially brought them together, remains a core part of their relationship, with the couple still enjoying the chance to display their talents during date nights.