Rachel Riley claims Strictly Come Dancing bosses 'pick winner at start of series'

Rachel Riley looked the picture of happiness as she stepped out with her husband Pasha Kovalev on Thursday night.MORE: Rachel Riley raises eyebrows with latest tweet after Anne Robinson's Countdown exitThe couple, who are parents to two young daughters, were among the special guests at the Tusk Ball which took place at Hintze Hall, in the Natural History Museum and was held in honour to raise money for the wildlife and people of Africa.WATCH: Rachel Riley gushes about being a mum-of-twoDressed in the colours of Ukraine's national flag, Rachel happily stopped and posed for photos with her Strictly Come Dancing star husband, who looked suave in an all-black tux.Exclusive: Rachel Riley talks family life with Pasha KovalevREAD: Rachel Riley reflects on heartache of suffering a miscarriage last yearThey were joined by the likes of royal supporters Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips, as well as celebrities such as Deborah Meaden and Jack Savoretti, many of whom are long-term supporters of the charity.Rachel's sighting comes after she made headlines for commenting on her relationship with former Countdown colleague Anne Robinson and for suggesting Strictly is "fixed". Rachel and Pasha at the Tusk Ball on ThursdayEarlier this month, it was announced that Colin Murray would be stepping in as Anne's temporary replacement as Countdown host.

Rachel Riley has hit out at Johnny Depp as his court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard continues.The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 58, is suing actress Amber, 36, and is claiming $50 million in damages for libel after an article she wrote in the Washington Post which his lawyers say falsely implies he was responsible for domestic abuse. She didn't name the alleged perpetrator, however Johnny, who has denied any abuse, says the article damaged his career and prevented him from getting roles.

Rachel Riley has claimed much of the hate JK Rowling receives for her views on trans rights, comes because she spoke out “for Jews and against Jeremy Corbyn”.

Rachel Riley pulled out all the stops on Sunday in her first photoshoot since welcoming her second child Noa in November.The doting mum-of-two posed up a storm in some glamorous outfits for the Sunday Times Magazine, including a dark satin-effect suit that she wore with natural makeup, styling her blonde hair so it flowed past her shoulders.SEE: Rachel Riley shares rare photo of baby Noa as she marks special milestoneRachel also spoke about her experience of the Strictly 'curse' after marrying Pasha Kovalev, who partnered her on the BBC dance series in 2013.The couple tied the knot in Las Vegas in June 2019, a month after announcing they were expecting their first child. They went on to welcome eldest daughter Maven that December.WATCH: Rachel Riley's daughter Maven takes after dad Pasha KovalevDuring her time on Strictly, the Countdown star announced her split from her first husband Jamie Gilbert, who she met while studying at Oxford.MORE: Rachel Riley issues important plea after 'old friend' gets in touch with family health struggleSEE: Rachel Riley shares new candid picture of Pasha Kovalev and baby Noa - but fans question one detailShortly after the series, she and Pasha confirmed they were in a relationship.Speaking to the magazine, the blonde beauty expressed her feelings about the Strictly 'curse', the idea that celebrities tend to fall in love with their professional partners, arguing that it wasn't the right term for her experience.A post shared by The Sunday Times Magazine (@thestmagazine)Rachel looked stunning as she discussed women in STEM and her time on StrictlyRachel teased: "Are you calling my babies a curse? That’s not right!" The maths whiz went on: "If you have cracks, Strictly can expose them.

Rachel Riley has suggested 'Strictly Come Dancing' is "fixed". The 'Countdown' star was voted off in week five when she took part in the 2013 series of the BBC Latin and ballroom contest and she claimed the show is "very produced", with bosses knowing from the start who they want to win and how different celebrities will be shown in the final edits. She said: “I think they know from the start who they want to win and what journeys they want to take different people on, to have the right balance, and they can obviously fix the scores.

Countdown presenter, 36, opened up about the incident for the first time during a new podcast interview. Setting the scene, the mum-of-two explained how she and her former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer other half had been playing ping pong at the time.

The Countdown star Rachel Riley has spoken of a time when a celebrity strangely put his phone under her skirt whilst she was playing table tennis. She was playing with her husband, former Strictly star Pasha Kovalev at a party.

Rachel Riley has revealed how a fellow celebrity used his iWatch to look up her skirt during a house party and how her husband Pasha Kovalev came to her rescue.MORE: Rachel Riley shares sweet clip of daughter Maven following in dad Pasha Kovalev's footstepsTalking on the Dirty Mother Pukka' podcast on Thursday while hailing the forthcoming Online Harms Bill, Rachel said: "One who shall remain nameless, who people would know, he just got an Apple Watch, and at a party at a friend's house, I was playing table tennis with Pash, and this guy, in full view of everyone, came, put his phone on the floor under my skirt where I was playing table tennis, and went and sat back down a couple of metres away while him and all his mates looked at his watch."WATCH: Rachel Riley's daughter Maven, two, has the cutest singing voiceShe continued: "It was like a video basically. So he went and put his phone down so he could look up and went two metres away to go and look at his phone, look up my skirt."READ: Rachel Riley has the cutest interaction with daughter Maven ahead of family milestoneRELATED: Rachel Riley shares new candid picture of Pasha Kovalev and baby Noa - but fans question one detailOf the identity of the celebrity, the mother-of-two added: "I wouldn't call him a friend, but you would know him.