Southport Flower Show 2023 announces a stellar lineup including Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev

Southort Flower Showare delighted to announce that Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev are making an appearance at this year’s show on Friday 18th August.

Rachel Riley is the numbers expert on Channel 4's long-running quiz show Countdown and a resident team member on the hit Channel 4 comedy show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Rachel has appeared on Room 101, Top Gear and Would I Lie To You (BBC). She co-presented It’s Not Rocket Science for ITV and has appeared on several TV quiz shows raising money for charity including: Celebrity Mastermind, Pointless Celebrities (BBC 1), The Chase (ITV), The Bank Job, Million Pound Drop and Fifteen to One (Channel 4).

Rachel is an avid Manchester United fan. She has presented Fantasy Football Club and Friday Night Football on Sky Sports. She has appeared on Football Focus (BBC 1), Soccer AM (Sky Sports) and Follow the Football (BT Sport). She has also presented shows on MUTV as well as featuring on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT radio.

Her first book, At Sixes and Sevens: How to Understand Numbers and Make Maths Easy, was published in 2021.

Pasha Kovalev was born and raised in the Far East of Siberia and started to dance at the age of 8. Following his passion for dance he eventually moved to the USA at the age of 20.

After a very successful professional competitive career in Latin Dancing with his dance partner Anya Garnis, Pasha auditioned for a 3rd season of a very popular TV show - So You Think You Can Dance that made him a popular and recognizable dancer across the US. After the TV show was over Pasha was invited to be a part of the Ballroom sensation show playing on Broadway - Burn The Floor . After the Broadway run Pasha joined Burn The Floor's World Tour and eventually performed on West End.

In 2011 Pasha joined the professional cast of Strictly Come Dancing. 8 seasons on the show, 4 finals and 1 Glitter ball Trophy later Pasha finished his career on Strictly to focus on producing his own shows.

In 2021 Pasha came back to West End as one of the lead performers in Here Come The Boys show and then toured the UK with the show in 2022.

Pasha will be Playing Ricardo In brand new Latin Dance musical La Bamba The show will open at Curve in Leicester this summer from 22 August – 2 September ahead of a West End run and UK tour. 

Alan Adams, General Manager said “Rachel and Pasha are a great addition to this year’s line-up. They are the last of our celebrity announcements and we are really pleased with the variety of guests this year. We have the flowers covered, the food and of course the fun for the whole family. It’s going to be a great show this year.”

Rachel and Pasha will join Frances Tophill (Gardeners’ World and Love Your Garden), Lee Burkhill (The Garden Ninja), Jason Williams (The Cloud Gardener), Keith Brymer Jones (The Great Pottery Throw Down), Daisy Desire (The Drag Queen Gardener), James Wong (Botanist, Broadcaster and Best-Selling Author), Justin Fletcher (CBeebies Children’s Entertainer), Phil Vickery (ITV This Morning), Katie Rushworth (Love Your Garden), Lee Connelly (Skinny Jean Gardener), John Torode MBE and Lisa Faulkner (celebrity chefs), Lizzie Acker (Great British Bake Off), Gabriella Margiotta (MasterChef) and Jemma Melvin (Platinum Pudding Competition winner) at this year’s show.

Plans for this year’s show are well underway and the combination of garden and floral displays, cookery demonstrations, shopping village, arena entertainment, live music and much more makes Southport Flower Show a great day outdoors for the whole family this summer.

Southport Flower Show is a registered charity (charity number 1000698) and the largest independent flower show in the country attracting over 55,000 visitors across 4 days. Early bird tickets now on sale for £23.00 until the end of May. Children under 16 go free.

Southport Flower Show, Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th August 2023.
www.southportflowershow.co.uk.