EXCLUSIVE: One famous Strictly Come Dancing couple have been together for three years – but they’ve faced some serious challenges along the way, one of which left one feeling very low
They may be one of Strictly’s sweetest-ever success stories, but things haven’t always been smooth sailing for loved-up duo Molly Rainford and Tyler West.
The pair, who found romance after meeting on the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing, have revealed that even their fairytale love story was tested to its limits during their latest TV adventure — and one particularly grim moment left Molly fearing the worst.
Now happily engaged and preparing for yet another challenge together, the EastEnders actress and Kiss FM presenter are used to being in the spotlight side by side. But during filming for Celebrity Race Across The World, their famously chilled relationship was pushed to breaking point.
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While the series saw them racing across breathtaking beaches and tropical rainforests, it wasn’t all sunshine and smooth roads — and for Molly, one mortifying moment almost turned their romantic getaway into a breakup.
“It was one of those times where you think, ‘Please, not now, not here,’” she laughs, recalling a tough stretch of their journey across Central America. “Everything had been going so well, but suddenly I hit rock bottom.”
Only later does she admit just how bad things got. “I had a particularly low moment but I won’t describe it – it’s gross,” she confesses, blushing. “Let’s say it was stomach related! I turned to Tyler and said, ‘You can’t leave me now, because if you did, I don’t think anybody will love me ever again!’”
Thankfully, Tyler didn’t go anywhere. The 29-year-old radio and TV presenter, who met Molly when they were both contestants on Strictly, proved the picture of patience and reassurance. “We’d already heard from friends who said, ‘I couldn’t do that kind of show with my partner,’” Tyler admits. “So yes, we were nervous we might argue. But in the end, it just brought us even closer together.”
And closer they certainly are — after three years together, the couple are not only living under one roof but are newly engaged, too.
Competing on the hit BBC series saw them swap glitzy red carpets for buses, hostels and long treks through jungles. “We never did a gap year,” Molly explains. “We’ve both worked since we were young, so this was like a fast-track version of that – a chance to see the world in a completely different way.”
Tyler agrees: “Normally, when you go on holiday, you stay in a resort and switch off. You’d never pick a tiny town in the middle of Mexico, but that’s what makes Race Across The World so special. It opens your eyes.”
Their fellow contestants included TV presenter Anita Rani with her dad Bal, siblings Roman and Harleymoon Kemp, and Hollyoaks star Dylan Llewellyn with his mum Jackie – but as the youngest team in the line-up, Molly and Tyler were determined to prove themselves. “I didn’t want us to be the young couple who ran out of money or lost our passports!”, Molly laughs.
Judging by their easy banter and shared smiles, it’s clear that whatever challenges they faced – dodgy tummies and all – the race only made them stronger. As Tyler puts it with a grin, “We started this journey together, and we finished it even more in love. Nothing was going to make me walk away – not even that!”
The upcoming series will be filmed in Central America, kicking off in Mexico and wrapping up in Columbia.
The BBC revealed: “This series takes the race through one of the most diverse and visually stunning routes yet, spanning the undiscovered Caribbean and Pacific coast of Central America.
“The journey begins on the idyllic Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres, just off the easternmost point of Mexico and challenges teams to race 5,900km to reach the finish line in the remote and breathtaking Península de La Guajira in Colombia – the gateway to South America.”
The statement went on: “Our familiar faces will say goodbye to lavish transport, smartphones and bank cards and instead must rely on limited budgets, local transport and their own resourcefulness, as well as the kindness of strangers.
“Relationships will be tested and transformed as they discover the world, and themselves, in ways they never expected.”
The celebrity edition follows the civilian series where mother-son duo Caroline and Tom were declared winners, trekking 14,000km across Asia and beating four other teams, bagging the £20,000 prize after navigating through China, Nepal and India.
The first season of Celebrity Race Across The World saw weather presenter Alex Beresford and his dad Noel emerge victorious after beating Melanie Blatt and her mum Helene, Harry Judd and his mum Emma, and Billy Monger and sister Bonny.
