Strictly's Neil Jones on why not having a celeb partner was a blessing
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Neil Jones has explained why not having a celebrity partner has been a blessing in disguise.
The professional dancer has been part of the BBC One staple since 2016, but has only ever been partnered with two celebrities – Alex Scott in 2019 and Nina Wadia in 2021 – during his time on the main series.
Neil of course takes part in the group dances and serves as a standby, and is often partnered with a celebrity for the Christmas special. He is also a regular on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two.
Despite that, he's pretty chilled about the situation, telling Mail Online that it has freed up his time for other things, such as the birth of his and Chyna Mills' baby Havana in October.
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Neil told the publication that: "So I say to them every year when I have a partner or I don't have a partner, 'That doesn't bother me... Do what you need to do, if you find the right partner for me, I'm there for you. But don't feel that you have to give me a celeb partner.'
"That's not a priority. I enjoy it when I get that chance at Christmas.
"This year everything happened in the right way because if I had a partner, I wouldn't have been there for the birth of my daughter.
"So I'm always so appreciative towards Strictly for being on this big show and I trust them and respect them."
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Neil previously stated that he found it difficult initially since people were making comments about him not being paired with a celebrity, but he is happy to be the show's "cheerleader".
Neil and Chyna first sparked rumours of a relationship in 2022, and announced their engagement alongside Chyna's pregnancy in April last year.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Tickets for Strictly's 2024 live arena tour are available now.
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