BBC Strictly's Rachel Riley reveals Pasha Kovalev asked her to get married next to bins

Rachel Riley has shared the surprising manner in which Pasha Kovalev proposed to her.

The duo first crossed paths in 2013 when they were paired on the BBC's hit series Strictly Come Dancing.

Their romance flourished post-show, leading them to start dating in 2014, and eventually, they exchanged vows in a hush-hush Las Vegas wedding in 2019.

They said 'I do' in the vibrant city of Las Vegas, managing to keep the event "so secret" that most of their friends and family were reportedly oblivious to the marriage.

The 39-year-old Countdown star discussed this personal milestone during her appearance on Sunday Brunch on July 20, where host Tim Lovejoy congratulated her on her sixth wedding anniversary, reports Edinburgh Live.

Lovejoy remarked: "Rachel, congratulations are in order because it's your sixth anniversary.

"You got married six years ago congratulations. You ran off didn't you to Vegas?".

Rachel Riley has shared the surprising way in which Pasha Kovalev proposed to her

To which Rachel responded: "We did. We were going to Vegas anyway to see Robbie Williams and the week before we were standing in Market Street in Manchester right between Primark and the bins and Pasha said 'shall we get married while we're there?'."

Co-host Simon Rimmer humorously commented on Pasha's proposal as being "romantic", prompting laughter from Rachel.

At the time of their Vegas nuptials, Rachel was expecting their first child and later gave birth to a daughter named Maven Aria in December 2019.

The couple welcomed their second daughter, Noa, in November 2021, although initially, they were uncertain about having children when they first began their relationship.

Rachel had previously disclosed that she experienced a miscarriage between her two pregnancies.

The former Gadget Show host spoke candidly to OK! Magazine about her decision to have another baby shortly after Maven's arrival.

The Countdown star appeared on Sunday Brunch and Tim Lovejoy brought up her relationship milestone(Image: Channel 4)

Rachel explained at the time: "At 35 I'm considered old biologically. I had a miscarriage between the two pregnancies, so you can't count your chickens.

"Thankfully, I seem to get pregnant easily which I don't take for granted."

In a conversation with The Sun, Rachel acknowledged that finding quality time alone with Pasha proves challenging whilst balancing their careers and parenting duties.

The mum-of-two revealed that romantic evenings out are infrequent for the pair, though she expressed no regrets about their situation.

Rachel and Pasha have been marred six years(Image: Dave Benett, Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

"When you first get together, if they're away for three months and you've only been together a month, it's a big deal," she explained.

"But when you've been together the best part of a decade and you can see a future of how ever many more decades that you get together, it kind of changes your perspective.

"It's nice to have date nights especially as we can be ships that pass in the night, especially when you have kids as well."

Sunday Brunch airs weekly at 10am on Channel 4