PASHA Kovalev shot to fame on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and now he's welcomed a daughter with his wife Rachel Riley.
But how did he fall in love with the mother of his child and when did he win the Glitterball trophy? Here's everything you need to know about the professional dancer.
Who is Pasha Kovalev, how old is he and has he won Strictly?
Pasha Kovalev is a 39-year-old professional dancer known for his work on Strictly Come Dancing.
Born in Siberia, Pasha began dancing at the age of eight and competed in the US series So You Think You Can Dance.
Pasha moved to the UK in 2011 to take part in his first series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he competed with Chelsee Healey.
In 2012 he finished runner-up with partner Kimberley Walsh.
Despite only having been a part of the show for six years, Pasha became a hit with both the viewers and the judges.
Pasha described his teaching style as "patience, patience, patience".
When he's not dancing, Pasha says he enjoys reading, films, travel and food.
When did Pasha marry Rachel Riley?
The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony in Las Vegas, with Rachel Riley announcing the good news via Twitter on Sunday, June 30, 2019.
Captioning a picture of the two of them, she wrote: "Introducing the new Mr and Mrs Kovalev. We both said yes!"
Her announcement came weeks after they announced they are expecting their first child together in May, 2019.
Pasha met his partner Rachel – who was married at the time – when she was his celebrity contestant on Series 11 of the show in 2013.
The couple's love blossomed after being paired together despite her being the fifth star to get eliminated.
Their relationship was strictly professional until 2014.
Rachel said about her dancer fella: "He's gorgeous, he's amazing when you need a bit of support that's when you know you're with the nice person. He's a good egg."
How many kids does Pasha Kovalev have?
Pasha is the proud parent of a baby girl whom he welcomed to the world in December 15, 2019.
His wife Rachel told fans she was in "newborn bliss" but the start of Maven's life wasn't quite so calm.
The baby arrived so fast the shocked first-time parents couldn't get to hospital on time.
So Rachel gave birth in her bathroom at home with midwives rushing over to help with the dramatic delivery.
Taking to Twitter, she wrote: "2 weeks after we were expecting her this little one finally made an appearance!"
She added: "Miss Maven (one who understands) Aria (lioness) Riley Kovaleva arrived on Sunday morning weighing in at 7lbs 4.
"After keeping us waiting she came so fast we didn’t get to hospital & was born in our bathroom with our amazing doula & wonderful St Mary’s midwives rushing over to be with us just in time!
"She’s absolutely perfect & Pasha & I are in newborn bliss. Couldn’t be more in love."
In another post she revealed they are calling their baby girl "Mave" for short.
Why did Pasha quit Strictly Come Dancing?
Pasha quit the show after eight years because it was time to find a "new challenge".
On February 13, 2019, the dancer released a statement on social media saying: "After scoring 93 perfect tens, reaching four finals and lifting one glitter ball, it's time for me to find a new challenge and so I've decided to make last year – my final season on Strictly.
"I've had eight fantastic years, full of wonderful memories thanks to the incredible partners, professionals and myriad of behind the scenes teams who all work to make Strictly the amazing production that it is.
"The biggest thanks go to all the members of the public who've supported me so much over these years."
The Sun exclusively revealed that the dancer had quit after eight series to concentrate on his relationship with girlfriend Rachel Riley.
The long-serving star was heard voicing his frustration last year that Rachel did not support him during the series and hated him being on the show.
The Countdown star didn't like him spending so much time with attractive female celebrities that he was partnered with like Ashley Roberts.
Rachel was also reportedly concerned about the Strictly curse harming their relationship as that is how she started dating Pasha.
What is Pasha Kovalev's job now?
The dancer is taking part in his own river cruise tour from April 3, 2020.
Rumba down the Rhine with dancing star Pasha Kovalev will be setting sail from Basel, Switzerland and will travel to Breisach, Kehl, Strasbourg, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Rüdesheim, Koblenz and Cologne before ending in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Strictly Come Dancing fans will be able to join Pasha at an onboard Q & A, dance masterclasses and a drinks reception with plenty of photo opportunities.
There will also be a private dance performance at the Electoral Palace in Koblenz.
How did Pasha Kovalev become famous?
In the 2014 series of Strictly Come Dancing, Pasha lifted the Glitterball trophy with partner Caroline Flack – they historically scored four "perfect 40s", a feat unmatched in the history of the show.
He went on to partner weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty and Chizzy Akudolu.
In series eleven of Strictly Come Dancing, Pasha competed with Countdown queen Rachel Riley – and shortly after the show Riley split from her husband.
A few months later, Rachel and Pasha announced they'd started a relationship.
His final partner was Ashley Roberts in 2018.
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