BBC Strictly stars reunite at London Marathon as Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin cross finish line together

Lydia Davies

By Lydia Davies


Published: 27/04/2026

- 00:36

The dancing duo were partners on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021

Tilly Ramsay reunited with her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Nikita Kuzmin at the London Marathon on Sunday, with the pair crossing the finish line together after conquering the gruelling 26.2-mile course.

The duo, who were paired on the BBC competition in 2021, beamed as they hugged after finishing the race in the capital.


Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was waiting at the finish line to congratulate his daughter, planting a kiss on her forehead after she completed her debut marathon.

Tilly, 24, had taken on the challenge in support of Feeding Britain, a charity tackling food poverty across the UK.

She had spent months preparing for the race, previously describing it as “a dream of mine”.

Ahead of the event, Gordon shared a heartfelt message on social media, writing: “Wishing this incredible young lady all the very best for tomorrow as you attempt your first ever London Marathon. Love you so much, Dad.”

Following her finish, he added: “Such a proud dad today watching my little girl @tillyramsay run her first ever marathon!!!! Thx to @flora and everyone who supported @feeding_britain on her incredible journey.”

Tilly's mother, Tana Ramsay, was also in attendance, while sister Holly and her husband, Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty, were among those cheering her on.

Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin

The BBC Strictly duo crossed the London Marathon finish line together

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PA

Katya Jones and Carlos Gu

BBC Strictly pros Katya Jones and Carlos Gu attended the London Marathon as spectators

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Strictly Come Dancing professionals Katya Jones and Carlos Gu were also spotted supporting the pair on the day, sharing photos and videos on social media.

The 46th edition of the London Marathon proved to be one of the largest in the event’s history, with around 60,000 runners taking part.

Participants set off from Blackheath, passing landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Clarence House before finishing on The Mall.

More than 1.1 million people applied for a place in this year’s race.

\u200bNikita Kuzmin and Carlos Gu

Nikita Kuzmin and Carlos Gu met at the finish line

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Mr Kuzmin’s girlfriend, Lauren Jane, took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message of support following his London Marathon effort.

Her post read: “Bibble, we are all so proud of you. You pushed through even when your sugars crashed, and you still stopped to take care of people along the way. You are amazing.”

Fans of Mr Kuzmin flooded the comments with messages of support.

“Congratulations Nikita, you are such a fabulous role model and proof that you really can do anything you set your mind to. We’re all very proud of you,” one wrote.

Ben Shephar

ITV This Morning's Ben Shephard also run the famous London race on Sunday

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Another added: “Amazing achievement Nikita — well done.”

A third commented: “Nikita, you are a wonderful, kind and inspiring man! Massive congratulations on completing the London Marathon! Make sure you take good care of yourself now.”

Someone else wrote: “Ah well done Nikita. Sounds like it was a bit tough — glad you managed it and were able to push through and even help others. You are a special person.”

A host of famous faces ran the streets of the capital on Sunday, including Cynthia Erivo, Joe Wicks, James Norton, Alexandra Burke, Jack O’Connell and Spencer Matthews.

Tilly Ramsay and Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay cheered on his daughter, Tilly, during her marathon run

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This Morning presenter Mr Ben Shephard was also pictured at the finish line alongside fellow runners.

Even Daddy Pig made an appearance on the course, running with Mr Wicks to raise money for the National Deaf Children’s Society.

The fastest man in the race, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, made history at the 2026 London Marathon by becoming the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in an official competitive race, finishing in 1:59:30.

This performance shattered the previous world record of 2:00:35 held by the late Kelvin Kiptum by 65 seconds.