They have been on a rocky road with their relationship, and the drama hasn’t ended for Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff.
The former rugby player has opened up about his terrifying health scare, in a new interview with OK! magazine.
In a spread dedicated to the couple’s daughter Mila, who just turned one, Ben revealed that he was previously diagnosed with a combination of glandular fever, pericarditis and sepsis.
“They told me if I hadn’t gone into hospital when I did, I would have been dead within a few days, because it was causing an infection in my blood stream,” he told the magazine.
Ben is also father to Harriet and Isabelle, his nine-year-old twin daughters with ex-wife Abby.
He revealed that receiving the diagnosis really made him reassess his life, and remember what was most important to him.
“It’s funny, when you’re told you have a life-threatening illness, all you can think about are the people you love,” he said.
“I didn’t think about anything materialistic or all the lovely things we have. I was just worried that I wouldn’t live to see my daughters grow.
“When I eventually got home, I bawled my eyes out – it hit me how scary the whole situation had been.”
Ben and Kristina got together after being paired on Strictly Come Dancing, during the 2013 edition of the show.
The rumour mill went into overdrive when Ben split from his wife Abby after the show ended, and he later confirmed his relationship with professional dancer Kristina.
Kristina entered the Celebrity Big Brother house last year, and revealed early on that she was expecting her first child with Ben. They went on to welcome little Mila in July.
Kristina and Ben have faced a barrage of criticism since getting together, with Ben’s estranged wife Abby publicly slating them.
Abby accused Ben of cheating with Kristina, previously saying: “He’s done the dirty on me, and I want people to know. My husband, who I was with for 23 years, unconditionally loved and was completely loyal to, has left me for a Russian dancer.
“I feel like he deceived me on every level you can imagine.”
She has since insisted that she wants to get on with her life, telling a source that she ‘wishes the best’ for Ben and his family.
