Who is rugby star Ben Cohen?

BEN COHEN is a rugby star who comes from a family of sporting world champions.

As well as being an athlete, the former Strictly Come Dancing star is no stranger to TV and even took part in the 2023 Christmas special of ITV‘s The Real Full Monty.

Who is Ben Cohen?

Ben Cohen is a former England rugby player.

He was born on September 14, 1978, in Northampton and first started playing rugby when he was 12.

Cohen spent most of his career playing at Northampton, Brive and Sale Sharks.

He also played for Sir Clive Woodward‘s England team that won the rugby World Cup in 2003.

Ben scored two tries at the tournament and bagged 155 points in his international career.

He retired from professional rugby in May 2011.

At the time of his retirement Cohen was ranked third in the list of all-time England try scorers, behind only Rory Underwood and Will Greenwood.

Cohen appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and was partnered with Kristina Rihanoff.

Ben and his ex-wife Abby Blayney became estranged soon after his appearance on the BBC show and Cohen began dating Rihanoff.

Cohen and Blayney had been married since 2003 and welcomed twin daughters, Harriette and Isabelle, in 2008.

They eventually divorced in 2016, the same year Ben and Kristina welcomed their daughter, Mila.

Cohen and Rihanoff then became engaged in November 2022.

The couple told  magazine how the romantic proposal came during a holiday on the paradise island resort of Soneva Fushi.

Ben said: “I wanted us to go further forward together and taking a holiday in such a beautiful place felt like the perfect moment to do that.”

Kristina added: “It was the biggest surprise of my life.

“Although we’d talked before about getting married one day, I hadn’t the slightest idea that Ben was planning this.

“I was overcome with emotion and said: ‘Yes, yes and yes’ straight away.”

In the summer of 2023 it was reported that Cohen was set to take part in the Christmas special of The Real Full Monty.

The news came just weeks after his ex-wife Abby revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Ben’s decision to do the show was said to be in tribute to Abby, with a source telling The Sun: “Ben has been inspired by Abby’s fight and wants to do this for her and their kids.

“Everyone in their family has been touched by this dreadful disease, and he’s happy to bare all if it encourages even just one person to get their symptoms checked.”

The episode aired on December 11 and also featured former TOWIE star Gemma Collins and Princess Diana‘s butler Paul Burrell.

Are George Cohen and Ben Cohen related?

Sir Bobby and Jack Charlton are the most famous members of the same family to win on the biggest stage, when they lifted the World Cup in 1966.

But England have also had two world champions in two different sports from the same family.

George Cohen, who won the football World Cup in 1966 with England, is uncle to Ben Cohen, who won the Rugby World Cup in 2003.

The pair are related through George’s younger brother Peter, who is Ben’s father.

Peter, who was the owner of Eternity nightclub in Northampton, sadly died in 2000 while he was protecting the victim of an attack.

George’s death was then announced on December 23, 2022.

His former club Fulham confirmed the sad news on Twitter, now known as X.

The club’s statement read: “Everyone at Fulham Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our greatest ever players – and gentlemen – George Cohen MBE.”

George had been awarded the MBE in 2000.

He was given the honour along with four of his 1966 team-mates who had been overlooked for at the time – Alan Ball, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles and Roger Hunt.