Excitement mounts as the new series of Strictly draws closer, with the first live show on 21 September. Since the celebrity partnerships were announced at the weekend, training has begun in earnest and many of the pros and their famous partners have been sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos. While Emma Barton and Anton du Beke chose to keep their footage under wraps, preferring to update fans after their first run-through, others revealed a little more.
© Photo: InstagramIt's Mike and Katya's first week of rehearsals
Former champion Katya Jones was one of those, sharing clips of her celebrity partner, Mike Bushell, from their rehearsal room on Tuesday – and it looks like she's really been putting him through his paces! The BBC sports presenter not only appeared to be attempting some very graceful ballroom moves, swaying from side to side, with his arms moving in time, but he accessorised his black T-shirt and shorts with matching kneepads.
Katya captioned the video: "Great Look" and "I like your style," tagging Mike's Instagram account to be sure he saw it. She then shouted, "Mike?" and when he came closer, told him, "Great look." The presenter then filled in Katya's followers on the reason for his unusual outfit. "It's because of this," he told the camera as he ran toward it, dropped to his knees and slid across the floor as Katya laughed.
© Photo: InstagramMike has some impressive moves already
In her next story, the dancer posted a link to her Instagram grid, where she'd posted a video of what happened toward the end of the pair's rehearsal. "OK, OK, one more time then I guess," Mike was pictured saying, but when Katya said, "I'll put the music on," the BBC star ran off to hide in a cupboard. "I'll just have a breather, I'm exhausted," he whispered to the camera before an appalled Katya found him and put him back to work.
Katya, 30, joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 and won it the following year alongside actor Joe McFadden. This series marks the dancer's first Strictly since she and her husband Neil announced their separation last month. The pair married in 2013 and have kept up a united front following news of their split, even continuing to dance together. This year, Neil has a celebrity partner on the show for the first time, having been paired with former professional footballer Alex Scott.
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