BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Nikita Kuzmin on 'daily battle' with Type 1 diabetes

Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin is a fan favourite on Strictly Come Dancing - but many may not know about the condition he was diagnosed with as a teen.

Viewers of the hit BBC show may have spotted Nikita, originally from Ukraine, wearing a white patch on his arm. The patch helps him to monitor the the Type 1 diabetes he was diagnosed with aged 13. The professional dancer has become a fan favourite since joining the show in 2021, and is currently competing with Olympian Sam Quek.

Birmingham Live reports that Nikita actively uses his platform to spread awareness about his condition. The 26-year-old admitted he struggles daily after being diagnosed as a youth. Nikita was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night by his parents after becoming seriously ill. It was then that he was told he had Type 1 diabetes.

Nikita who is often seen wearing a CGM, a small white patch on his arm which continuously monitors his glucose levels, previously spoke out about the 'traumatic' diagnosis. "It was quite traumatic because I was diagnosed in the middle of the night," he shared with The Sun.

"It was literally like 2am when we arrived at the children's hospital because my blood sugar levels were extremely high. They were spiking, and I had been feeling very ill for about a week.

"I'm grateful to my father and mother for taking me to hospital, as they figured out that it might be diabetes." Type 1 diabetes results in high blood glucose levels and is not associated with age or being overweight, unlike type 2 diabetes. It currently has no cure.

"Even now, it's still a daily battle," added Nikita. "But, I feel like it's my biggest superpower. There's always a way to make things better, and thanks to my Dexcom G7 sensor, managing it is so much easier." Beyond his dance career on Strictly Come Dancing, Nikita is also known for his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year where he secured second place.

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