Rachel Riley from Countdown showcases her sexiest photoshoot ever, flaunting her legs in a figure-hugging bodysuit.

AS an Oxford College maths graduate who has blonde hair and hails from Essex, Rachel Riley is aware of solely too nicely what it’s wish to be underestimated. 

“Once I was youthful, folks could be stunned once I mentioned I used to be finding out at Oxford,” she says.

Rachel Riley is aware of solely too nicely what it’s wish to be underestimatedCredit score: Mark Hayman

Rachel mentioned: ‘Once I was youthful, folks could be stunned once I mentioned I used to be finding out at Oxford’Credit score: Mark Hayman

Rachel added: ‘I used to be generally known as a ‘blonde Essex Woman – however it’s not at all times a foul factor, as a result of you should utilize it to your benefit’Credit score: Mark Hayman

“I used to be generally known as a ‘blonde Essex Woman – however it’s not at all times a foul factor, as a result of you should utilize it to your benefit and shock folks in a constructive manner.

“It says extra about them for having these misconceptions within the first place.

“I believe it’s actually vital to indicate you could be blonde, put on make-up and no matter garments you need and likewise be a mathematician or scientist.

“You don’t have to suit an outdated stereotype.”

It’s a lesson that Countdown’s resident maths genius Rachel, 37, is eager to move on to her daughters Maven, three, and 18-month-old Noa, who she shares with husband Pasha Kovalev, 43, the Strictly Come Dancing professional she was paired with whereas competing on the present 10 years in the past.

They acquired collectively in 2014, shortly after Rachel separated from her first husband, millionaire Jamie Gilbert. 

Within the early phases of the connection, nevertheless, Pasha was insistent that he didn’t need to be a dad.

“He mentioned he was a lone wolf and undoubtedly didn’t need youngsters. However a great deal of my mates began having infants… Then, we had been on vacation and determined we’d run out of locations we wished to journey to, so it was a case of: ‘When you can’t beat ‘em, be a part of ‘em!’ Let’s have some youngsters!” says Rachel.

“And seeing that nurturing facet of Pasha with the ladies is so cute.

“We’re each actually having fun with being dad and mom.”

Their family expanded additional final summer season when Rachel and Pasha, who’s Russian, took in 4 Ukrainian refugees.

The battle is deeply private to Rachel and Pasha – together with many different Russians, his brother was compelled to flee his nation to keep away from being conscripted, and is at present dwelling in exile in Turkey.

The refugees – a girl, her younger son, aunt and mom – shared the couple’s London residence for greater than a yr, earlier than not too long ago returning to Ukraine to attempt to rebuild their lives.

“The ladies cherished it,” says Rachel.

“It was like having a great deal of additional aunts, and the eight yr outdated was like an enormous brother to them.

“They had been from occupied territories within the east to allow them to’t return residence, however they’re going to attempt to settle in western Ukraine.

“Life has been so arduous for them right here doing cleansing jobs, travelling throughout London on the bus and with out the language abilities to provide themselves the comfy life they’d again residence.

“They’ve household preventing, which places into perspective how fortunate we’re.”

It’s not the primary time Rachel, who’s Jewish, has taken motion for causes near residence.

After calling out the Labour celebration and its then-leader Jeremy Corbyn for antisemitism in 2018, she discovered herself on the receiving finish of troll assaults, together with demise threats, after which she was given additional safety at Countdown’s Manchester studios.

It’s clear how bruising the entire expertise was for her, as she visibly shakes when speaking about it.

“I believe a part of my character should be argumentative,” she says, half-joking.

“For me, it was extremely private.

“I did a great deal of analysis earlier than talking out, as a result of I didn’t need to wade into one thing I didn’t know sufficient about.

“However I used to be additionally introduced up understanding what occurs when good folks say nothing, so it was one thing I wanted to do.”

Rachel has since began working with the Heart for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) to marketing campaign for higher safety for social media customers, and was awarded an MBE for serving to increase consciousness of the Holocaust and combating antisemitism earlier this month.

Guided by the CCDH, she makes use of the “block” button extra liberally on social media, fairly than difficult on-line abuse immediately. 

“They aim you as a result of they need you to retweet and say: ‘Have a look at this individual, isn’t this terrible?’ as a result of it grows their following,” says Rachel.

“We don’t must take heed to these items. 

“I don’t see something like as a lot of it as I used to, which is sweet, as a result of it was like a swamp.

“I can ‘greater image’ it now with out having to get within the mud with the pigs.”

She says, for a time, her social media was so poisonous it turned “unusable”, however she’s going to proceed to face up – Rachel has additionally spoken in assist of JK Rowling, who has come below assault from trans activists for her stance on girls’s rights.

“You need to combat to your freedoms and converse out,” she says.

“Pay attention to rights being eroded incrementally – now we have to be vigilant.

“I need to convey up my ladies to be sturdy, vocal girls they usually undoubtedly are up to now – they’re going to be bother!”

Pasha has been by Rachel’s facet all through the ordeal of the previous few years.

The pair not too long ago celebrated their fourth wedding ceremony anniversary, having married in Las Vegas whereas she was pregnant with Maven.

In typical Vegas fashion, the finances ceremony was pretty spontaneous – they determined to do it only a few days earlier than their journey to the States, and solely informed their households as soon as it was signed, sealed and delivered.

“We’d had a few days in New York earlier than flying to Vegas.

“As we acquired on the aircraft to Vegas, my mum despatched me a jokey message saying: ‘Have a very good flight. When you get married there, I’ll come again and hang-out you!’

“However we’d already purchased the gown — it was an excellent day, so many enjoyable.” 

The pair are heading for dinner after right now’s picture shoot – a uncommon date evening, which Rachel says received’t be a late one, not with the 5am begins Noa is so keen on in the meanwhile.

Sleep typically revolves round their youngest daughter, as Rachel is breastfeeding and has no plans to cease but.

“For me, it’s simply simpler. It will get her again to sleep, it’s wholesome and she or he’s joyful. It feels regular. I discover it bizarre when locations have indicators saying: ‘Breastfeeding welcome’. I don’t want an indication – I’ll breastfeed wherever!”

She provides: “At one level I used to be feeding each ladies, one on every boob, as I didn’t need to kick Maven off when Noa arrived and for her to really feel resentful.

“In order that was fascinating! After they had been little, they may come to the TV studio and I might feed them between reveals. I used to be fortunate.”

Countdown has been Rachel’s “residence” for practically 15 years, however she ended up on the telly nearly accidentally after her mum observed that Channel 4 was recruiting to switch numbers whizz Carol Vorderman.

Rachel had simply graduated and utilized on a whim, by no means anticipating to get the job and understanding she had her diploma to fall again on if it didn’t work out. 

Over time, she’s hosted alongside a number of anchors, together with Jeff Stelling and Nick Hewer – and former Radio 1 presenter Colin Murray since he joined final July.

“Colin is so aggressive.

“He performs each single spherical and dissects all of it with the contestants.

“He’s a large nerd and makes me and Susie [Dent in Dictionary Corner] look actually cool!

“However he brings a lot enthusiasm and he’s very fast with a pun or references to bands or lyrics, which he’ll weave into his subsequent hyperlink.

“It’s enjoyable and everybody’s having fun with it.”

It sounds a bit totally different from the times of Anne Robinson, who was rumoured to have created a frosty ambiance on set earlier than quitting the present final yr.

“It is vitally totally different,” Rachel says rigorously.

“Every presenter has their very own fashion and also you don’t at all times gel with everyone that you just work with.”

Prior to now, Rachel has diplomatically described Anne as “not the cuddliest”.

“Properly, you’re not going to get a sympathetic shoulder to cry on from Anne,” she says right now.

“However she may make you cry!”

Apart from Countdown, Rachel works with organisations and charities, similar to Nationwide Numeracy, and is keen about encouraging extra girls into STEM (science, know-how, engineering and maths) careers.

Simply 24% of the UK’s STEM workforce is feminine,* and analysis reveals that 60% of women aged 12 really feel maths and science are “too tough” to be taught and are higher suited to boys.**

“A lot of it has to do with confidence, as a result of girls and ladies are extra inclined to exterior pressures and what folks inform them.

“Nationwide Numeracy discovered that the largest indicator of whether or not somebody will enhance their numeracy is that if they consider they will.

“Believing in your self has an enormous impact on outcomes, so we have to change the narrative,” Rachel says.

“When you look again through the years, girls had been denied training, so the individuals who have made all of the advances in science and maths are males.

“I went to an area museum in Moscow they usually had glass cupboards full of photographs of cosmonauts from the Sixties to current day.

“You needed to get all the best way to the ultimate cupboard earlier than you noticed two feminine faces.

“With out illustration, it’s arduous to see your self becoming into a gaggle.

“An enormous a part of the answer to the local weather downside goes to be STEM and it’s the place employment goes to be.

“We want extra numerate-literate, scientifically-literate and technologically-minded folks – and we’d like girls on the desk.”

Local weather-conscious Rachel and Pasha switched to an electrical automotive final yr and the entire household is vegan.

It’s why she’s fronting a marketing campaign by Hiya Hydrogen to lift consciousness of hydrogen as a future power supply for UK properties.

Rachel’s quieter home is about to get much more so, as Pasha heads on a nationwide tour with dance musical La Bamba!, which means lengthy spells away from residence till November. 

“The pandemic meant quite a lot of his work was cancelled, so we’re used to having him round.

“And we’ve had the Ukrainians dwelling with us like an enormous reciprocal household, so there’s at all times been somebody there to look at the ladies if I’ve wanted to nip out.

“We actually want to take a seat down and map all of it out…”

Does it really feel like 10 years since Strictly introduced them collectively?

“They gave us a bottle of champagne with Strictly written on it and I’ve nonetheless acquired it within the cabinet.

“I ought to open it, as it’s been 10 years, though it’s in all probability turned to vinegar by now! It’s a very long time, isn’t it?

“4 years married and two little ladies… I did a podcast with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who was on Strictly with me and we mentioned: ‘Ten years – how has that occurred?!’” 

Rachel mentioned: ‘I believe it’s actually vital to indicate you could be blonde, put on make-up and no matter garments you need and likewise be a mathematician’Credit score: Mark Hayman

Rachel with husband Pasha and their two daughtersCredit score: Instagram/Rachel Riley

Rachel with Pasha after she obtained her MBE for providers to Holocaust TrainingCredit score: Getty Photos

Rachel and Pasha carry out throughout rehearsals for Strictly Come DancingCredit score: PA