Strictly Come Dancing isn't back on screens until the autumn, but the one question on everybody's lips is whether Neil Jones will finally be given a celebrity partner this year. His wife Katya has revealed that although she would love Neil's wish to come true, she does have her concerns. Chatting to HELLO!, the Russian beauty admitted: "I'm getting a little bit worried because I managed to get hold of the Glitterball in 2017, but I think the anticipation of Neil having a partner has been growing so strong, that everyone's going to vote for him instantly!" She teased: "It's going to be a battle."
Neil added: "I am getting the question a lot. It would be really nice to get a partner. It would be great, but we don't know until a lot later. They have to book all the celebs. Either way, I've always said, I love working with the show. I started off as a choreographer and assistant choreographer. I'm now a pro. If I get a partner, I get a partner. If not, I just love working with everyone."
When quizzed about who they would want to dance with, Neil joked: "I want Katya to dance with Keith Lemon." His wife retorted: "You used to say you wanted to dance with Keith Lemon!" "I would dance with Keith Lemon. Team Ginger, yeah we could make that work," Neil mused.
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The ballroom pro added: "At this point, anybody! Give me anyone. I'm ready for them. I don't care if they can dance, can't dance, age, height. I'll work with them, I'll make sure they look good." Of her own dream partner, Katya, 29, said: "I always thought Paddy McGuinness would be great on the show, but he's really tall. That doesn't matter. I can make it work. He's got the personality, the banter, he's fun."
Katya admitted she was worried Neil would beat her to the Strictly final
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Earlier this month, the BBC confirmed which pro dancers will be back in the line-up. The 2018 champion Kevin Clifton will be making his return alongside his ex-wife Karen Clifton, last year's finalists Dianne Buswell and Giovanni Pernice, Aljaz Skorjanec and his wife Janette Manrara, AJ Pritchard, Anton Du Beke, Gorka Marquez, Oti Mabuse, Amy Dowden and of course, Katya and Neil Jones. Some of the newer faces in the line-up include Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe, Luba Mushtuk and Nadiya Bychkova. There is just one person who is missing from the 2018 dancers; Pasha Kovalev, who announced his decision to leave the show in February.
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