Sam Quek reveals Strictly guilt, husband's 'jealousy' and medical emergency

Strictly Come Dancing star Sam Quek has revealed the guilt she feels about leaving her children to compete on the show every weekend. The Olympic hockey player and TV presenter is partnered with Nikita Kumzin on the show, and also explained the relationship he has developed with her and her family.

Quek has performed well on the show so far despite no previous dance experience and is supported by husband Tom and children, Holly, three, and Zac, two.

Quek regards Tom as her "best mate and number one supporter" She was thrilled about joining Strictly and suggested that Tom might experience a hint of "jealousy"—not due to the infamous 'Strictly curse' but because he'd love the opportunity to join in on the dancing himself. "My husband is genuinely really excited for me because he knows how much I'm going to enjoy it," Quek remarked.

"And I think that's what's really special about our relationship. We are solid, and I can't wait to share this with him."

She said: "He might even be a bit jealous, if I know Tom. He would love to be out there doing it – we're always the couple at a wedding who are the last off the dance floor."

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As for her dance partner, Sam’s children adore the Ukrainian professional too. She told Closer magazine: "Molly and Zac love Nikita, he’s been round to ours, had dinner and bought the kids presents, so straight away he was in their good books! The kids have little watch parties at home – the other week, Molly told everyone, “Shhh mum’s on TV!”

"I suffer massively with mum guilt. Before I head down to London on Thursday mornings, I’ll go to Tesco to make sure the fridge is full, do all the washing and put their outfits out for Friday and Saturday. Tom will say, 'Sam they’re not going to starve!' but I’m doing it for me because I feel bad and want to feel like I’m contributing. Tom reminds me that we always pick up the slack for each other and that this period won’t last forever."

Quek has previously spoken of the frightening medical crisis she went through while expecting her second baby. Merely days before she was due, an emergency C-section became imperative.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, the ex-Olympian described how contractions in the middle of the night caught her off guard, bringing along with them a distressing sight of blood. "I woke up and felt a bit of a twinge," she said.

"Those twinges gradually grew stronger and stronger and turned into contractions. I'd been having recurring nightmares that if this birth went to a C-section, I was going to haemorrhage. I just felt like something was going to go wrong for this one, I don't know why."

She detailed further: "Naturally, when you're pregnant and see blood, it's never a good sign. The consultant said 'just to be safe, we're going to whisk you down for an emergency C-section. We don't want to take the chance that it could be anything sinister, so we would advise getting him out'."

Following the procedure, amidst the profound joy, Quek teared up at the first sight of her son. She fondly remembered: "When his little face popped up over the curtain, it was the realisation that he'd finally got here, was safe and was going to join our family of three to make it four," she glowed.