Rachel Riley spoke about her PTSD that she claims was caused by the stress of appearing on Strictly Come Dancing as she revealed one method that helped her after her Strictly stint
Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter
17:05, 29 Nov 2025
Rachel Riley spoke about her PTSD earlier this year(Image: Channel 4)
Television presenter Rachel Riley claimed that appearing on Strictly Come Dancing gave her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
The Countdown star appeared on Strictly in 2013 alongside Pasha Kovalev, a dancing pro she went onto marry after their partnership on the show.
As this year’s Strictly enters its final few weeks, Rachel spoke to the i earlier this year about how the stress of appearing on the popular reality show caused her PTSD and how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helped her.
She said: “The stress of going on Strictly Come Dancing gave me PTSD, and cognitive behavioural therapy has helped me since.
“My brain was storing information in the wrong place, and CBT has helped me focus on resilience rather than the stress of a situation.”
Rachel Riley appeared on Strictly in 2013(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Rachel added: “Before doing CBT I didn’t realise I was a perfectionist. A psychologist called Michael Carthy taught me that although I thought everything had to be perfect, it actually doesn’t.
“There’ll always be things that go wrong, but you don’t have to focus on them. It’s taught me to brush a lot more off, that it’s good to get out of your comfort zone. If you only focus on the things that goes wrong, you just won’t get up there again.”
PTSD can be caused by a variety of factors. According to the NHS, the condition can cause a variety of symptoms including but not limited to re-experiencing the event, avoidance and social numbing, poor sleep, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Rachel Riley met her husband Pasha Kovalev on the show(Image: Getty Images)
Cognitive behavioural therapy is one form of talking therapy that is used by people to help them deal with their own poor mental health. It can be an effective and, in some cases, life changing process.
In recent years, researchers have begun to understand more the impact of CBT on the body’s physical health, including how it affects the heart and how the heart is affected by our mental wellbeing.
One such example is Takotsubo syndrome, a condition colloquially referred to as ‘broken heart syndrome’, that causes the heart muscle to change shape and weaken. According to the British Heart Foundation, this is normally caused by “severe emotional or physical stress”.
Earlier this year, the charity reported that a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress had suggested that cognitive behavioural therapy could alleviate symptoms.
In a statement, the BHF said: “The first ever randomised controlled trial of long-term treatments for Takotsubo syndrome…found that 12 weeks of tailored cognitive behavioural therapy, or a heart recovery exercise programme, resulted in signs of a physical improvement in patients’ condition, when compared to usual care.”
Whilst this study shines a light on the impact of therapy on a body’s physical state, it is important to note that further studies are required to further investigate the link and make conclusive judgements.
This was reflected by clinical lecturer Dr David Gamble who added: “These results further highlight the importance of ‘the brain-heart axis’. It shows that cognitive behavioural therapy or exercise could help patients along the road to recovery.
“Both are very cost-effective interventions, and we hope that further studies could lead to them being used to help this underserved group across the country.”
Meanwhile, Rachel Riley is due to return to the UK’s screens when she appears on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel tonight (Saturday, November 29) at 8.05pm on BBC One.
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
