A Strictly Come Dancing star has been robbed in broad daylight in London this week, leaving her ‘scared and helpless’.
Professional dancer Michelle Tsiakkas, 29, was on her way to the dentist early in the morning when her phone was snatched.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the ballroom star recounted the ‘traumatising’ incident to fans whilst urging them to stay vigilant.
Michelle said in a video message: ‘This was a couple of days ago and I’ve just about mentally recovered from that. It was quite traumatising on the day.
‘It wasted my whole day and made me feel awful, scared, helpless and I don’t want the same to happen to you.
‘My phone got stolen. My phone got stolen. I mean I see it happening all the time but it’s just one of those things that you just never think it’s gonna happen to you. and then it does.’
A Strictly Come Dancing star has been robbed in broad daylight in London this week, leaving her ‘scared and helpless’
Professional dancer Michelle Tsiakkas, 29, was on her way to the dentist early in the morning when her phone was snatched
In an emotional post on Instagram, the ballroom star recounted the ‘traumatising’ incident to fans whilst urging them to stay vigilant
Michelle, who joined Strictly three years ago, said a man on a bike swiped her mobile while she was in Convent Garden.
The brunette explained: ‘So it was early morning. I was on my way to the dentist in London.
‘It was around Covent Garden so the streets were really quiet. I think I was just the only person around so maybe I was an easy target and I whipped out my phone to have a look at the directions to see where my dentist was.
‘I was on the actual street of the dentist and what happens? A man comes on a bike behind me, sweeps past me and grabs my phone.
‘So he’s grabbed my phone. He’s on an electric bike and my heart just sank. I tried to I think like reach for it and that made me fall on my knees on the floor and graze my knee.
‘I think my reflex was just to swear and then scream give me back my phone and clearly you know that didn’t work.
‘He just left. He was wearing a mask so there was no way that I could have seen what he looked like and he was going really fast on that electric bike so there was no way on earth I could have caught up with him.
‘Thankfully there were two really lovely and helpful women there and they’d seen that I was a bit distressed.’
Michelle, who joined Strictly three years ago, said a man on a bike swiped her mobile while she was in Convent Garden
Last year Michelle was given her first celebrity pairing by BBC bosses, coupled up with under-fire EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick
Michelle was flooded with support from concerned fans as well as her Strictly family, with fellow pro dancer Nancy Xu simply commenting with love heart emojis.
Last year Michelle was given her first celebrity pairing by BBC bosses, coupled up with under-fire EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick.
Meanwhile, earlier this year it was reported Michelle’s Italian hunk boyfriend Simone Arena, 33, is joining the dance competition’s line up of dance professionals who are paired with the celebrity contestants.
The Italian dancer is no stranger to the Strictly format after previously starring as a pro on the Belgian, Italian and Irish versions of the show.
Born in Catania, Italy, Simone has been a professional dancer since childhood, becoming the Vice Italian Latin Champion at the age of 16.
He has also performed in the Broadway touring production of Burn the Floor and was also announced as part of the cast of Somnium: A Dancer’s Dream with Strictly Come Dancing stars, Katya Jones and Neil Jones, in 2019.
Michelle was flooded with support from concerned fans as well as her Strictly family, with fellow pro dancer Nancy Xu simply commenting with love heart emojis
Earlier this year it was reported Michelle’s Italian hunk boyfriend Simone Arena, 33, (pictured) is joining the dance competition’s line up of dance professionals who are paired with the celebrity contestants
Simone joined the Strictly global franchise in 2021, winning the Belgian version of the show with artistic gymnast Nine Derwael.
As a professional on the Irish version of the dance competition, he was partnered with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Blu Hydrangea, as well as Kin actress, Yasmin Seky.
A source told the Sun on Sunday: ‘Simone blew the Strictly bosses away when he auditioned as a new professional on the show.
‘He is no stranger to the Strictly format after previously starring as a pro on the Belgian, Italian and Irish versions of the series.
‘Simone is well known among the pros and his girlfriend Michelle [Tsiakkas] loved her time on the series last year.’
