Neil Jones has shared his true feelings on not getting a celeb partner for BBC Strictly Come Dancing. The pro dancer was not paired up with anybody during last year’s series.
Speaking to OK! about his chances this year, Neil replied: “I honestly don’t mind. There are so many different personalities and challenges. It’s quite nice just getting a partner!” he added. When asked if he ever gets starstruck, he replied: “I don’t think so but I do love football players. I’m just so intrigued by what people are doing and how they find stepping into our world.”
He added: “Each year, I make a joke with the guys like, “it’s good to see some gingers in here,’ because the moment you see someone on screen that looks like you, that gets you excited. My mum is a taxi driver and she was driving a little boy who’d had his leg amputated when Jonnie Peacock was on the show. He was so excited to see him on TV.”
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Neil also had an update on his fiancee Chyna’s pregnancy. The Strictly dancer and Love Island star became engaged last year, after he popped the question. The ITV reality TV favourite confirmed she was expecting their baby earlier this year after falling for Neil.
“Chyna is ready to pop – she’s raring to go. We’re not sure when it’s going to happen but if it’s during a live show, we’re prepared for that. It would be ideal if it happened when I had some time off, but I’m buzzing with anticipation,” he said ahead of the launch of the new series.
The dancer also praised the supportive environment at Strictly. “People ask, ‘Are you ready for sleep deprivation?’ And I say, ‘I’m a dancer, I’m used to it,'” he quipped. “Even after 10 hours of sleep, you’ll still have dance routines playing in your head,” he went on to add.
He said: “We’ve had so many new Strictly babies – both Janette Manrara and Gorka Márquez have just had babies. When they’re older, we should do a competition with all the babies!”
