Katya Jones sets record straight on relationship status after Strictly divorce and kissing scandal
Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones has opened up about her relationship status after her marriage breakdown to Strictly co-star Neil Jones was highly publicised.
Jones was partnered with opera singer Wynne Evans during this year’s series and were the eighth couple to be booted from the competition.
For the first two years on the show, Jones performed alongside her husband Neil Jones after the couple met in 2008 – dating for five years before tying the knot.
The couple’s professional partnership proved highly successful, with the couple winning the World Professional Latin Showdance Championships in 2015.
They were also crowned British National Professional Champions four times before joining Strictly Come Dancing.
However, in August 2019, they announced their separation through a joint statement, emphasising their continued friendship and professional relationship.
“We will always love each other, just in a different way as friends,” the statement read, confirming they would continue dancing together.
Their split came after she was partnered with comedian Seann Walsh on Strictly Come Dancing, with the pair being photographed kissing during a night out, causing significant public attention.
Since her divorce, Katya has maintained privacy regarding her romantic life, though reports emerged in 2022 that she had joined the celebrity dating app Raya.
In July 2023, she was linked to property mogul and former footballer William Abbotts, however, neither party confirmed or denied the reported romance.
Neil has since found happiness with Love Island star Chyna Mills, with Jones publicly congratulating the couple on both their engagement and the birth of their daughter Havana.
Jones recently opened up about her current relationship status and made it clear that she is very happy with her single life at the moment.
She penned on her Instagram story: “Do I like being single? Yes, I do. Do I wish I were in a relationship? Absolutely.
“But here’s the thing: I will stay single until I find someone whose presence is more valuable than my solitude, someone who truly appreciates and respects me.
“Until I find that person, I’m perfectly happy with myself. My peace and my self-worth are far too important to settle for anything less.”
She further emphasised her happy single life, by sharing she spent her Christmas with her neighbour, Stuart – posting a series of images on her Instagram account.
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She captioned the post: “Not everyone’s got their family around on Christmas. In fact, I don’t. But I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas, spent with my legendary neighbour Stuart (some of you might have heard about him by now).
“He cooked the loveliest meal for us. We watched Strictly accompanied by wine and had all the chats. Delightful.
“I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas however you spent it.”