Pasha Kovalev: Life After Strictly, Family, and Dance Career

When Pasha Kovalev first stepped onto the Strictly Come Dancing floor in 2011, he was the quiet professional with the dazzling footwork. A decade later, he has traded the glitterball trophy for playdates with his two daughters and a touring show he built from scratch.

Age: 46 ·
Birthplace: Russia ·
Strictly series: nine (2011–2019) ·
Children: 2 daughters ·
Current residence: London, UK ·
Dance style: Latin and ballroom

The table below pulls together Pasha’s core stats in one snapshot:

What does Pasha Kovalev do now for a living?

Dance career after Strictly

• After leaving Strictly in 2019, Pasha returned to live touring, producing shows like Pasha Kovalev: On Tour — Olivia Bell talent agency.
• In 2024 he was performing in La Bamba: The Musical across the UK — same source.

The implication: instead of chasing a regular TV spot, Kovalev is betting on theatre tours that give him creative control.

Teaching and workshops

• He runs “Accessible Dance” projects aimed at making dance inclusive — BBC Tiny Happy People.
• BBC feature showed him leading stay-and-play dance sessions with Rachel Riley.

Are Pasha and Rachel still together?

Relationship timeline

• Pasha Kovalev married Countdown host Rachel Riley on 28 June 2019 — IMDb film database.
• The couple met when Riley was a contestant on Strictly and Kovalev was a professional dancer.

Marriage and children

• They have two daughters together: Maven Aria (born December 2019) and Noa (born 2022) — The Independent.
• A 2025 video from Children with Cancer UK confirms the family of four remains together.

Public appearances together

• In 2025 they attended a family event with both daughters, photographed by Daily Mail Celeb.
• Rachel frequently posts about Pasha on social media, calling him a “super-dad”.

The pattern: the couple has deliberately kept their family life low-key but visible enough to show unity.

How many children does Pasha Kovalev have?

Daughter Maven Riley Kovalev

• Born 15 December 2019 — IMDb film database.
• Name includes Riley, honouring mother’s surname.

Daughter Noa Riley Kovalev

• Born in 2022 — The Independent.
• Noa’s reading habit was covered by the Independent in 2024.

Family life in London

• The family lives in London — BBC Tiny Happy People.
• Rachel Riley described balancing TV work with two under-fives as “organised chaos”.

What this means: Kovalev is fully embracing fatherhood while maintaining his touring schedule—an unglamorous reality for a former TV star.

What happened to Pasha from Strictly?

Departure from Strictly Come Dancing

• Kovalev was a professional dancer on Strictly from Series 9 to Series 17 (2011–2019) — Strictly Stats.
• He left in 2019 to focus on touring and family — Olivia Bell talent agency.

Post-Strictly career moves

• Choreographed the 2023 film Paris Christmas Waltz — Olivia Bell talent agency.
• Returned to the stage with his own tours instead of a TV role.

Current public profile

• He is described as a “world-class dancer and choreographer” by Children with Cancer UK.
• He has not ruled out returning to TV but currently prioritises live performance and family.

The catch: leaving Strictly at the peak of his TV fame was a risky move, but it allowed him to build a more sustainable, hands-on career.

“Pasha Kovalev had ‘no work’ and described financial strain after leaving Strictly.”

– Express (UK newspaper)

What is Pasha Kovalev’s net worth and background?

Net worth estimates from professional career

• Exact net worth has not been publicly disclosed. Estimates vary widely — Tuko news aggregator calls all figures “speculative”.
• During lockdown, Express reported he faced financial “strain” — same source.

Early life in Siberia

• Born 19 January 1980 in the USSR (Far East of Siberia) — Wikipedia user-contributed encyclopedia.
• Started dancing at age eight — same source.

Dance training and competition career

• Moved to the US in 2000 with dance partner Anya Garnis to compete professionally — Wikipedia user-contributed encyclopedia.
• Competed internationally in Latin and ballroom before being scouted for Strictly.

The trade-off: while his net worth isn’t public, the trajectory suggests he earns enough through tours to fund a comfortable London family life—but not the kind of wealth associated with prime-time television stars.

Timeline

• 1980 – Born in the Far East of Siberia, Russia — Wikipedia user-contributed encyclopedia.
• 1988 – Started dancing at age eight — same source.
• 2000s – Competed internationally in Latin and ballroom — same source.
• 2011 – Joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional (Series 9) — Strictly Stats.
• 2014 – Won Strictly with Caroline Flack — same source.
• 2019 – Left Strictly after Series 17 — Olivia Bell talent agency.
• 2019 – Married Rachel Riley (28 June) — IMDb film database.
• 2020 – First daughter Maven born — same source.
• 2022 – Second daughter Noa born — The Independent.
• 2023 – Starred in film Paris Christmas Waltz — Olivia Bell talent agency.

This shift from television to live performance defines his current professional identity.

“Pasha Kovalev and Rachel Riley are married with two daughters.”

– Children with Cancer UK (charity video)

For viewers wondering if Pasha will ever return to a TV dance competition, the trade-off is clear: invest in his live shows now, or risk missing the next chapter of his evolving career. The decision to step away from prime time was a gamble that seems to have paid off on his own terms.

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