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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Louise Lavigueur

Kirstina Rhianoff's most controversial outbursts - after backtracking over Ukraine slurs

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Russian-born Kristina Rihanoff has apologised for offending anyone for her insensitive tweets on Russia's invasion on the Ukraine.

The 44-year-old star sparked outrage after her now deleted tweets saw her Twitter rant include the statement “I don’t give a s**t about the war”.

Kristina wrote: “I do want to focus on what sort of punishment Boris Johnson will have for destroying my family run business and 1000 of others.

“Many of my friends LOST businesses because of government lockdowns.

“Don't give a s**t about the war but I do about the debt because of NO TRADING for 2yrs.” (sic)

Kristina Rihanoff has apologised over her remarks made as Russia invades Ukraine (AFP/Getty Images)
Kristina Rihanoff clarifies Putin comment as she hits back at critics (Twitter)

Among the comments, one person wrote: “Sorry Kristina, I have always liked you but I can’t believe you’ve posted this given the horror happening in Ukraine! Completely inappropriate, you should be ashamed of yourself!”

Another labelled her comments: " In VERY poor taste, unfollowed."

But since the social media storm the dancer has back tracked on her original post and posted a lengthy apology saying she was 'absolutely devastated' by the the news of the war.

Another of her original posts “made fun” of a Sky news report that Russia had been banned from Eurovision saying she did not support “Putin, war, invasion, lost lives and politics”.

Rihanoff wrote: “I made fun of Eurovision tweet by Sky. I did think there was far more important information on that day that Eurovision. This is in any form says I was supporting what’s happening at the moment between Russia & Ukraine.

“It’s absolutely devastating for someone like me who’s grandad from Ukraine and I have Ukrainian name to my daughter – Milena.

Strictly's Kristina Rhianoff hit with furious backlash after 'insensitive' tweets appearing to back Putin (mirror.co.uk)
Kristina Rhianoff has since posted a lengthy explanation but many former fans say they have 'unfollowed' her (mirror.co.uk)

“My best friend is also from Ukraine."

After the lengthy post she summed up her thoughts saying: “I’m not supporting Putin, war, invasion, lost lives and politics.

“I hate it as much as a human being possibly can.

“If I offended anyone it wasn’t my intention and I’m deeply sorry.”

Kristina Rhianoff has a huge following and appeals to a generation of young dancers but her latest comments has caused controversy (WireImage)
Kristina Rihanoff with daughter Milena who she gave a Ukrainian name (krihanoff/Instagram)

And it's not the first time the former Strictly Come Dancing professional caused controversy sharing on social media as a trip to watch a dolphin and killer whale show in Spain upset followers.

The choreographer soon faced backlash from some social media users, as they expressed their outrage at the capture.

And ahead of the 2021 series of Strictly Christiana clashed with former fellow star James Jordan as they debated over whether BBC contestants should be forced to be Covid vaccinated.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain Christiana said she wouldn't refuse to dance with a partner who wasn't jabbed because she knew of those who weren't allowed the vaccine due to health grounds.

While during her stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 , Kristina shocked her housemates as she told them she was three months pregnant.

She explained that it was something she thought she had to reveal early on, as it would become difficult to hide it.

But she was later branded 'boring' by Loose Women panelist Sherrie Hewson as she couldn't fully get involved with the tasks due to expecting her first child with partner Ben Cohen.

The pregnancy bombshell came as a shock to many, including boyfriend Ben's estranged wife Abby.

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