Dancer Nadiya rubbishes rumours of affair with ex- England footballer

David James and Nadiya Bychkova

Ukrainian dancer Nadiya Bychkova has dismissed rumours over her reported affair with former English footballer David James.

Nadiya, 30, who will be tying the knot with Slovenian footballer Matija Skarabot this year, partnered the former England goalkeeper in a British dance show - Strictly Come Dancing - last year.

The professional dancer revealed that the footballer-turned-pundit, was delighted to hear rumours of their relationship following their performance.

"You have to have chemistry. Chemistry is important on the dance floor. But it doesn't always mean that something is going on off-camera," Nadiya told The Sun.

"I remember David saying if there are rumours of a romance between us, we must be going in the right direction because that's how it should look," she added.

"David and I are still really good friends - we spoke today - and he's such [a] nice man, so intelligent. In such a short period of time, we became so close."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates