Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff has told how her relationship with Newbridge ex-boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe crumbled as a result of her role in a West End show.

The couple recently called it a day after meeting on the BBC1 dance show when he had been a contestant.

Russian Rihanoff revealed in an interview with Hello! magazine that it was her work in dance production Burn The Floor and disagreements about whether to have children which doomed their romance.

She said Calzaghe mainly stayed in Wales while she was performing in the show, which led to lengthy spells apart.

"He was sick and tired of waiting around for me, and said that if I truly loved him, I wouldn't have taken the job in the West End," she told the magazine.

She said she took the job instead of a roving role in the Strictly Confidential tour because she thought it would make their relationship easier if she was in one place.

"I'm confused, because he knows how much it takes to be the best at your career," she said.

"I said, 'Why didn't you tell me not to do Burn the Floor?'

"But he said he understood it wouldn't be fair to ask me to stop my job, that he knows that I support my family and love what I do."

Rihanoff provides financial support to her mother, grandfather and other members of her family back in Russia.

Calzaghe already has two teenage sons and was less keen on more, but Rihanoff is hoping for a young family. "I have always wanted children," she said.

The couple have remained friends and Calzaghe texted Kristina to wish her luck before the launch of the new series.

She told Hello!: "We still have a lot of feelings for each other."

She said she does not think she will be ready to date for a few months.

:: The full interview is in the new edition of Hello! magazine which is out now.