Strictly Come Dancing stars Neil and Katya Jones have revealed how they went on a “massive learning process” and worked on their relationship, after Katya was papped kissing Seann Walsh on a London street last year.
Katya’s shock kiss with her Strictly partner dominated tabloid headlines for weeks and became a catalyst for the break-up of Seann and his longtime girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.
But the married Strictly pros stayed together and speaking to Hello! Magazine, Neil explained how he reacted when the kiss video was published online.
“I can accept people make mistakes,” he told the mag. “My mum always said, ‘People make mistakes in their lives. Don’t react, try to understand’. So that is how it always is for me.”
Katya added: “We knew we just had to sort it out ourselves. It was quite shocking to be suddenly so exposed and everyone has an opinion on it but we just wanted to focus on us. My first thought was for Neil.”
“I look at everything as a massive learning process. But actually drop by drop, people typing horrible and unkind things about you, does affect you.”
Katya also said Neil urged her to stop reading news reports and comments online.
“I knew I had to focus on what I do best, my dancing, my choreography, my job to the best of my ability,” she said.
The couple have both been confirmed for the next series of Strictly and Katya is hoping that Neil will be given a celebrity partner for the first time.
“I feel Neil could partner any character, any age, any ability. He would come up with something so creative,” she said.
All of the other pros from the 2018 series will also be back, apart from Pasha Kovalev, who announced his decision to step down last month.
There are still a few months to go before the 2019 celebrity contestant announcements begin, but stars rumoured to be taking part include two Radio 2 DJs, a newsreader and even a member of the Royal Family.