Ex-Strictly winner who danced with Fern Britton arrested on suspicion of domestic violence

Artem Chigvintsev faces accusations of corporal injury to a spouse

A professional dancer who won Strictly Come Dancing and danced with Fern Britton has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in California, it has been reported.
Artem Chigvintsev, 42, who appeared in four series of the BBC dancing show and won in 2010, was arrested in the town of Yountville, Napa County, on Thursday just before 10am, according to US media.
He was partnered with singer Holly Valance, television presenter Britton and actress Natalie Gumede in subsequent seasons before he left the show in 2014.
Napa County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ that deputies had responded to a domestic violence call and that injuries were reportedly involved.
Chigvintsev was booked into the Napa County Jail later that morning on accusations of corporal injury to a spouse.
Under section 273.5(a) of the California penal code, this refers to a criminal charge for willfully inflicting a physical injury upon one’s husband or wife.
Chigvintsev, a Russian professional dancer, won series eight of Strictly in 2010 with celebrity partner Kara Tointon.
Since then, he has appeared on Dancing With The Stars, the US version of Strictly.
It is unknown whether Chigvintsev’s current wife was involved in the incident.
In 2022, he married Nikki Bella, a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star who he met on Dancing With The Stars in 2017. She has since changed her name to Nikki Garcia and left wrestling.
The couple have a son together and celebrated their second wedding anniversary earlier this week.