Ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional Artem Chigvintsev arrested on suspicion of domestic violence

The professional dancer, who won the BBC competition in 2010 with celebrity partner Kara Tointon, was booked into Napa County Jail on Thursday morning, according to online jail records.

It is not clear what led to the arrest of Chigvintsev, who posted $25,000 (£19,000) bail.

The Russian dancer joined Strictly during series eight in 2010, when he was partnered with ex-EastEnders actress Tointon, a relationship which blossomed into a real-life romance for several years. The 42-year-old also made it to the semi-final of the show in 2011 with actress Holly Valance, before he was partnered with TV veteran Fern Britton in the 2012 series.

He was last partnered with Coronation Street star Natalie Gumede in 2013, with the pair securing the runner-up spot. Chigvintsev later moved to the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, where in 2017 he was partnered with his future wife – WWE star Nikki Bella.

The couple have a son, who was born in 2020 just hours before Nikki’s twin sister Brie Bella announced the arrival of her second child. The siblings starred in the E! reality show Total Bellas for five years.

Nikki Bella and Chigvintsev previously said they found out they were expecting just two-and-a-half weeks after getting engaged in Paris, and they married in 2022. His arrest comes days after he celebrated the two-year wedding anniversary with his wife.

Representatives for Chigvintsev have been contacted for comment.

In recent months the conduct of Strictly professional dancers has come under the spotlight. Giovanni Pernice has left the show after allegations of bullying from Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington and other women, and his fellow professional Graziano Di Prima has admitted kicking his partner, the media personality Zara McDermott, in rehearsals last year.