Ben Cohen and his fiancée Kristina Rihanoff have put their £1.75 million home in Sywell, Northamptonshire, on the market, according to Newsafro.com. The five-bedroom property, purchased in 2016, was listed for sale just weeks after Cohen, 45, revealed their financial difficulties in court. He expressed that he was “fighting to save his relationship and home” following Kristina’s, 46, incident of driving without insurance.
Kristina Rihanoff received six points on her license and is at risk of a ban due to accumulating 12 penalty points after being caught driving her £30,000 Audi Q3 in Northampton on April 4. Her partner, Ben Cohen, who acknowledged mismanaging the couple’s car insurance policies, appeared in court to support her unsuccessful appeal against the motoring conviction. Subsequently, details of the couple’s substantial debts and struggling business ventures have come to light.
The couple, who share an eight-year-old daughter named Melina, now face additional potential legal challenges due to their failure to submit financial accounts for a yoga studio that has incurred nearly £500,000 in losses.
Their family home, which they were still residing in just weeks ago, is situated on 1.73 acres of land and has been listed for sale on RightMove for £1,750,000. The property is described as a “superb family home offering spacious and versatile living accommodation,” featuring an “impressive kitchen breakfast/family living area.”
The decision to sell the house appears to be an effort to mitigate their financial difficulties, which began after they launched several joint business ventures following their pairing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.
Their financial challenges intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which adversely affected their fitness and wellness studio, Soo Yoga, located in Northampton. Mr. Cohen acknowledged these difficulties during his testimony at Northampton Crown Court, stating, “I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything—to lose my cars, my house, and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.”
When asked about the impact on his relationship, he noted, “We’re still living together. We’re in it financially. We’re in business together, so the problem is that we opened the business before COVID, and we faced the worst effects of it. This is just another problem for me to deal with. I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have a business debt because of COVID. It’s just another problem.”
Companies House records indicate that Soo Yoga Group Ltd reported a deficit of £488,470 in its most recent accounts for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2022. The accounts for the year ending July 31, 2023, were due by April 30 of this year but have yet to be submitted. Failure to file accounts on time can result in personal fines for company directors and the potential for a criminal record, as such filings are typically required within nine months of the financial year-end.
Established by Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen in June 2017, Soo Yoga Group saw Rihanoff resign as a director and transfer her 50% shareholding to Cohen in September 2022. The studio’s website advertises a variety of “holistic” classes, including yoga, Pilates, dance, cycling, spin, HIIT, and meditation, available through a £690 annual membership or a pay-as-you-go option for ten classes at £120.
The company is also burdened by a £190,000 loan from Bespoke Ballroom Ltd, which is co-owned by Rihanoff, who is listed as an American citizen. Soo Yoga Group faced potential compulsory dissolution on December 27, 2022, although this action was suspended and later discontinued on April 28, 2023.
Additionally, Soo Greens Ltd, a food services company wholly owned by Soo Yoga Group, reported a deficit of £6,633 as of its last accounts for the year ending July 31, 2020. Accounts for the period ending July 2021 remain outstanding and are nearly 29 months overdue.
Another entity, Soo Purple Mountain Ltd, was established in December 2021 but was voluntarily dissolved in February of this year without ever filing accounts. Similarly, Soo Group Ltd, co-owned by Cohen and three other individuals, was incorporated and subsequently struck off during the same timeframe.
A fifth entity, Yoga Wellbeing, fully owned by Kristina Rihanoff, reported a deficit of £5,041, factoring in future liabilities, as of July 2020. Its accounts are also nearly 29 months overdue, as indicated by Companies House records.
The couple’s business difficulties became apparent after Ben Cohen disclosed these issues in court, where he acknowledged failing to renew Rihanoff’s car insurance. Cohen stated that while abroad in March, he received a text from Dial Direct regarding the impending cancellation of their insurance unless he provided his no claims details. Lacking a no claims bonus, he did not respond, leading to the cancellation of the policy on March 7.
Rihanoff was subsequently stopped for driving uninsured in Northampton town center on April 4. Upon being contacted by police, Cohen attempted to obtain a new policy with Dial Direct. He asserted, “I 100 percent did not know that policy would be cancelled because the no claims information they’d been asking for wasn’t relevant to me.” Cohen admitted he had not inquired about Rihanoff’s prior speeding offenses before securing the policy.
Throughout the hearing, Rihanoff was visibly distressed, leaving the courtroom with her hands over her mouth due to nausea. She later wrapped herself in a white blanket while holding a tissue to her eyes. Rihanoff testified about the necessity of driving to judge ballroom competitions across the country, which provide her with an income of £2,000 per month, as well as transporting her children to school.
Recorder Louise Cox dismissed Kristina Rihanoff’s appeal but expressed her sympathy for her situation. The judge noted, “We find you had an honest belief that you were insured; however, we do not accept that this belief constituted reasonable grounds for your lack of insurance.” She emphasized that Rihanoff should have ensured her insurance status prior to driving and ordered her to pay £357 in appeal costs.
Rihanoff departed Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 after becoming pregnant with Cohen’s daughter, who is now eight years old.
In an interview with HELLO!, Cohen reflected on how their relationship had been “strengthened” by navigating challenging business circumstances as they approach their wedding. He stated, “Over the last nine years, we’ve been through the wringer. Supporting each other through difficult times in business is the ultimate test in a relationship.”
The couple plans to make their wedding a family-oriented event, with their daughter and Cohen’s twin daughters, aged 15, from his first marriage to Abby Blayney Cohen, serving as bridesmaids.
