Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff alarmed by lover Ben Cohen's texts to so...

The lover of Strictly Come Dancing star Kristina Rihanoff has sent a string of texts to a sexy soap actress.

Ben Cohen, 37, landed in hot water by messaging Emmerdale’s Gemma Oaten, 31.

The Romeo rugby star had to ask Gemma to deny they were having a fling after fiery Russian Kristina found out about the messages.

The actress, Emmerdale’s Rachel Breckle, confirmed she had been left “confused” by the messages.

But she insisted she and former England star Ben had NOT been in a relationship.One friend of the soap star said: “Gemma felt like piggy in the middle of a ridiculous situation.

“Kristina was clearly concerned someone else was getting her hands on her man.”

Gemma met the rugby star this year through a charity event for his Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. She was single, having split from actor boyfriend Andy Barnes in April.

Gemma and Ben swapped numbers and he quickly asked if she wanted to meet up for drinks.She declined but they were later photographed together when the actress gave an emotive speech at a charity event for Ben’s foundation.

The actress spoke of her heart-wrenching experiences of extreme bullying when she was younger. It led to her being admitted to a children’s psychiatric ward.

On June 19 Ben congratulated Gemma on her anti-bullying stance and then tweeted:

"Need a catch up!"But it was just days after the speech that a mutual friend warned Kristina, 38, that Ben had been texting the actress.

He then contacted Gemma and two of her pals asking them to help him convince Kristina he was not having a fling.

Gemma’s friend told the Sunday Mirror: “He sent a frantic group text, apologising for the childish nature of it all but explaining that Kristina had been told he was pestering Gemma for a date.

“Kristina was clearly upset and he was trying to do some damage control.

“He said obviously it wasn’t true – he had only been messaging Gemma as friends – but would they mind texting Kristina to explain that.

"Gemma told Kristina she was a beautiful woman and she had a lovely trustworthy boyfriend in Ben.

"Kristina wrote back to suggest they all meet up for a drink and that it was essentially a storm in a tea-cup.”

Gemma confirmed to the Sunday Mirror she had contacted ­Kristina and insisted there was nothing going on between her and Ben.

She told us: “I did get messages from Ben. They were harmless but I was a little confused about what to make of them at first.

"I respect he has a girlfriend and we have never been more than just friends. He is a lovely person and we share a passion for charity work.”

A source explained how Kristina was alerted to the messages, revealing: “A pal suggested Ben had been flirting and Kristina passed it off.

“But she can’t have been that happy and must have asked him about the rumours. He thought it was ridiculous but wanted to prove she had nothing to worry about.

"So he asked for Gemma’s help, but the whole scenario was very awkward for everyone.”The row comes after a year of rumour and denial over Ben and Kristina’s ­relationship. They were paired on Strictly in 2013 and later waltzed off together.

Ben and his wife Abby, who he has twin daughters with, split in September last year, amid rumours he was having an affair with Kristina. But that was strenuously denied. ­Kristina said they started dating this summer.

She said recently: “We are in a committed relationship. Of course, that involves love. We’re still new so there’s much more left to grow hopefully. It’s a work in progress.”

In her book, Dancing Out of Darkness, she says she admired Ben for setting up his own charity and they became friends as he advised her on how to get involved in charity work.

Gemma returned to Emmerdale at the start of the year, making a shock appearance at Charity Dingle’s trial.

But in May she announced she was leaving for a second time.

Earlier this week she penned an inspiring and emotional blog about her 13-year battle with anorexia.She began to recover in her early-20s after years of anguish, including stints in hospital and a psychiatric unit.

Writing for SEED – an eating disorder charity of which Gemma is the patron – she said: “Listen to me.... RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE.

“If I’d have had the help now offered to those suffering with an eating disorder, my life could have been very different.”

A spokesman for Kristina and Ben said: “This is ridiculous tittle tattle.

"Kristina, Ben and Gemma are good friends who met through Ben’s charity work.

"Kristina and Gemma have stayed in touch by twitter and there was never any misunderstanding.”