Nikita Kuzmin has shared his confusion over a particular "obsession" when it comes to British culture as the Strictly Come Dancing star tours around the country.
The professional dancer - who was born in Ukraine, then moved to Italy and then Germany - came to the UK in 2021 to join the BBC One show, but he doesn’t understand people's big love for one of the country's most popular dishes.
He told the Metro newspaper: "This might be offensive, but I still don't understand why British people are so obsessed with fish and chips. I've tried it, and I just don't get it. And battered sausages - so oily and greasy."
Another culture shock Nikita is puzzled by is when British people throw a lot of food on a plate - which he thinks causes presentation to suffer.
The 27-year-old star said: "Food must look pretty - you eat with your eyes first." However, Nikita said he loves life in the UK because of how "accepting" the country is.
Nikita said: "Everybody is up for banter and a chat having a drink. I've been embraced in this country for who I am, which is great. The greatest part about the UK is how accepting it is."
Nikita is no stranger to performing up and down the country, often alongside his friends and colleagues from the BBC One dance contest.
But he's now going it alone in his first-ever solo tour, Midnight Dancer, which kicked earlier this month with the promise that audiences will be treated to a "very dramatic show".
The Celebrity Big Brother star previously said of the show: "The show is more of a musical because I've seen every 'Strictly' and non-'Strictly' shows, and one thing I didn't want to do is just build a show with lots of dancing and no context.
"It's a love story with betrayal, pain and hope - it's a very dramatic show. As scared as I am, I'm loving this scary feeling because I know that on the night, I will deliver the best thing people have ever seen."
Supporting Nikita along the way is his model girlfriend Lauren Jaine, who he is believed to have started dating in early 2023, before they went public in October of that year.
And he revealed the most romantic thing he has done for her was driving from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to London in the middle of the night, to surprise Lauren on her birthday.
He explained: "It was last year when I was performing in Newcastle. I drove to London in the middle of the night to make it for my girlfriend's birthday and then had to get back for the matinee.
