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She’s the unique Russian siren who has received herself legions of male admirers since becoming a member of Strictly six years in the past.
Katya Jones has the physique of knowledgeable dancer, after all: lithe, slinky and seemingly impervious to gravity even when performing the liveliest Charleston or gliding by way of a sensual tango.
Her face, in the meantime – soulful darkish eyes and pouting mouth – comes from her blended Korean and Russian heritage.
So it’d come as a shock to most individuals to listen to that she hasn’t been on a single date since she separated from her husband Neil in the summertime of 2019. Not one – and it’s not for lack of making an attempt.
She’s even joined the unique relationship app Raya, however up to now has had no luck.
In an unique interview with The Mail on Sunday, Katya revealed she believes males are too scared to even method her – not to mention begin a relationship along with her.
She’s the unique Russian siren who received herself legions of male admirers since becoming a member of Strictly six years in the past. So it is likely to be a shock to listen to that she hasn’t been on a single date since 2019
‘There isn’t any man on the scene, and naturally I’m trying,’ she says. ‘I’ve not been on a single date since I separated from Neil. I want there was a situation, I didn’t even get to have a situation, have you learnt what I imply?’
Certainly she should have had some approaches, although? ‘Not even any of these,’ she says. And the explanation? ‘They’re most likely too intimidated.’
‘They’re that intimidated that they wouldn’t even take step one. I imply my requirements are excessive, I’m not going to lie. I’m not one to waste my time with pointless chat if there’s no substance to the dialog both.
‘It could be good to search out love, I believe it will be beautiful, however I really feel like males within the present, fashionable world are very fearful and it has confirmed to be very powerful to discover a relationship.
‘I’ve a number of single feminine mates who’re phenomenal ladies, and we’d all agree that it’s troublesome to search out love in these occasions as a result of usually males can discover profitable, sturdy ladies daunting. So it’s proving very laborious.’ Maybe, it will be truthful to argue, they may have good cause to be scared? She’s little doubt a tremendously engaging girl – however she additionally comes with a fearsome repute.
For this yr’s Strictly line-up, she was partnered with former Arsenal footballer Tony Adams who had a sure elan on the pitch however freely admitted he was no ballroom dancer.
Argue with Tony? Individuals solely stated that as a result of they couldn’t accuse us of getting an affair
After Katya Jones and former footballer Tony Adams completed a blunder-filled salsa in episode seven of this yr’s Strictly, viewers thought the pair had turn into embroiled in an on-screen argument.
However Katya shrugged off what gave the impression to be a heated trade, laughing: ‘Once we can’t be accused of getting a romance, then [people say] we don’t get on and that we’re preventing. It’s typical.’
Within the closing minutes of the present earlier this month, ex-England captain Adams might be seen holding out his arms and apparently remonstrating with Katya after scoring simply 21 factors and being lambasted by the judges.
However she claims that they have been merely analysing their routine to Pitbull’s I Know You Need Me (Calle Ocho) – and that he made only some errors.
She stated: ‘That present we have been the final couple to go on, and we solely had two minutes earlier than we needed to get again for the ultimate sequence. We didn’t get a second to have a debrief and a few of the steps did go fallacious.
‘It’s actually essential to analyse. He was telling me the place he thought he went fallacious however he’s so tall that I couldn’t see him or hear him.
‘I’m unsure the way it was deduced from the again of my head that I used to be offended at him! Individuals make assumptions. We discovered it humorous as a result of it couldn’t be additional away from the reality.’
Miss Jones revealed that she and Adams are like ‘an outdated married couple’ after being put collectively for this yr’s collection. She spoke of her admiration for him and the way he entertained the nation regardless of being backside of the chief board most weeks.
She stated: ‘This present will not be the world championships. Individuals tune in and sit round on the couch to flee. They wish to activate the telly and have color, enjoyable and pleasure on their screens.
‘They wish to relate to the contestants and with Tony they did simply that. He was in a position to connect with folks at residence. They took their hats off to him.
‘He wasn’t afraid to take dangers and put himself on the market and that’s what folks loved and that’s why he obtained a lot love which he was overwhelmed by.’
Adams was compelled to withdraw from the present within the episode after their salsa as a result of the rigorous coaching he put his physique by way of ‘took its toll’.
Talking of his determination, Katya stated: ‘It was the jive in week eight and it was notably laborious. It was a troublesome week. He wished to offer it all the things, and he did.
‘I even stated to him, “The place did this come from?” However he stated to me afterwards: “It doesn’t really feel nice.” And when it got here to the dance-off he thought it will be too dangerous to do a jive once more.
‘I used to be very content material that if he needed to go, then he needed to go.
‘Our time on the present was a triumph, I used to be comfortable, he was comfortable.’
Because the stay present on November 5 was wrapping up, eagle-eyed viewers noticed Katya and Tony, 56, off digicam having what regarded like a livid row. Tony had made a string of errors throughout their salsa routine they usually’d ended up backside of the chief board.
Tony referred to as Katya ‘over-critical’ and, every week later, was compelled to drag out of the present with a hamstring damage.
In the meantime, Katya, 33, and her ex, Neil, 40, stay on good phrases. He even joined Katya and Tony at an Arsenal match on the Emirates stadium to look at them play his group Liverpool earlier this yr, and the pair nonetheless work – and dance – aspect by aspect on Strictly.
Crucially, nonetheless, whereas Neil has gone on to this point different ladies – he’s presently seeing the 24-year-old Love Island star Chyna Mills – Katya hasn’t had a single date, which she admits is likely to be all the way down to her ‘excessive requirements’.
However she received’t be giving up any time quickly: ‘It might be that males see me on tv and are scared, they assume I’m unapproachable for some cause which is clearly not true. We’re all simply people searching for love – but when they’re not courageous sufficient then they’re not the one, so I’ll keep it up ready.
‘Admittedly, I don’t have a number of time for relationship whereas I’m competing, however I don’t need anybody until they’ll add worth to my life. I don’t need somebody simply to fill the gaps that I might need in my life, neither do I wish to fill any of the gaps in theirs.
‘Independence in a relationship is absolutely essential to me. Perhaps that isn’t useful however it’s fairly easy; we’re all simply searching for love.’
Katya is nothing if not formidable. Since becoming a member of the present six years in the past, she has skilled an array of celebrities to bounce. Some have been more difficult than others, there was after all former Labour MP Ed Balls, swimmer Adam Peaty and BBC presenter Mike Bushell.
Katya received the collection in 2017 with actor Joe McFadden and she or he was additionally the primary of the present’s dancers to be a part of a same-sex couple when she was paired with boxer Nicola Adams.
It’s truthful to say that she has completely no worry. She herself says she believes anybody will be skilled to bounce and be entertaining, her most up-to-date success being Tony Adams who, in opposition to the chances and never with the ability to dance a step at first, lasted till week eight.
Maybe predictably, as a profitable, high-profile girl, she is the sufferer of individuals taking to social media to share their opinions on her – some unkind.
Does it faze her? ‘I couldn’t care what folks say about me, I completely couldn’t,’ she says. ‘It’s their opinions and that’s nothing to do with me, it doesn’t outline me, my life or what’s going on in my life. I stay how I wish to, not being influenced by the opinions of others, and I want others would do the identical whether or not you’re within the public eye or not as a result of it’s so a lot simpler and freer.
‘The primary day I joined Strictly, I stated to myself that I might not permit myself to vary or care about folks’s opinions. I’ll at all times keep genuine to myself, and I’ve caught by that.
‘It’s the one cause I’ve been in a position to do my job, how I’m able to keep the person who I’m whereas being within the public eye. And to have mates and good relationships with folks. I’ve my morals and I stick by them. I want to assume that comes by way of. Individuals who know me know who I’m.’
One one that is aware of Katya solely too nicely is Adams. Strictly viewers have taken a lot pleasure from their ‘journey’ on the present – one which the previous footballer himself has admitted he thought could be considerably temporary. They made it to week eight when, lastly, he determined he needed to stop as a result of earlier accidents. However he’ll always remember Katya – as a result of he named one in every of his child pigs after her.
Adams and his spouse Poppy, who Katya ‘adores’, purchased the 2 pets shortly after Strictly started, and across the identical time the star realised his new dance instructor sometimes snorted on the finish of her laughs.
‘Once we began dancing collectively, I started spending a number of time at Tony’s household residence,’ remembers Katya. ‘I met his spouse and his youngsters; I went to see their college performs and concert events. They didn’t have the pigs once I first met them, however they have been speaking about it.
‘Then they ultimately obtained them they usually began pondering of the names. As a result of I saved snorting within the rehearsals, Tony stated we should name one in every of them after you. So, they did, and that one is unquestionably the chief of the gang,’ she laughs. ‘All of them name me Kat, so the pig is known as Kat the pig. We laughed a lot in rehearsals, and my chuckle usually ended up in snorting vogue. I hope I can at all times be of their lives now.’
Final month, Katya attracted a number of consideration when she wore a tiny white tennis costume for a dance routine with Adams, to the Grandstand theme tune, marking 100 years of the BBC. Males have been wowed by her and ladies have been frankly in awe of her beautiful determine.
For these desirous to know the way she manages it, she places it all the way down to a number of scorching yoga – a type of the train that’s carried out in scorching and humid circumstances. Woman Gaga is a fan, as are Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney.
Katya says: ‘I completely love scorching yoga and even on Strictly rehearsal days, if I’ve an opportunity to go to a 7am class then I’ll nonetheless go. I might not survive with out it.
‘Motion is life. I stroll, I stretch within the mornings as a result of it motivates your thoughts to make good choices by way of the day.
‘I additionally do a number of weight coaching. We dance loads, however it isn’t sufficient. Motion and train is a type of meditation for me. I set the time off sturdy so I make the proper choices. For me, it’s what train provides me mentally.’
For this yr’s Strictly line-up, she was partnered with former Arsenal footballer Tony Adams who had a sure elan on the pitch however freely admitted he was no ballroom dancer
Transferring – and dancing – has performed an enormous half in her life. She grew up within the Russian metropolis of Saint Petersburg the place she started dancing on the age of six, earlier than occurring to turn into a champion in ballroom.
She met fellow skilled dancer Neil Jones in 2008, aged 18, when he stepped as much as fill in for Katya’s common accomplice at a Blackpool competitors.
The couple turned four-time British nationwide champions and three-time world beginner Latin champions, and married in 2013.
She is about to finish her seventh collection of Strictly and may be very a lot in demand throughout the showbusiness business, although regardless of this she says she has no instant plans to waltz off the programme.
‘I’ll proceed to do Strictly whereas I’ve love for it,’ she says.
‘It’s too intense to do it with out ardour. To date, I’ve liked each single yr, each single minute of it.
‘I’ll keep it up however there are different issues I might like to do, although in the meantime I’ll proceed with that stuff and see what occurs on the finish of it.’
Even when she will get given a very duff dancer down the road?
‘There’s nothing too troublesome for me, no problem is just too large for me – I’m Katya Jones.
‘As professionals on the present we put on a number of hats, we are able to’t do it until you genuinely find it irresistible.
‘The more difficult it’s the extra rewarding it’s and that’s what motivates me and drives me.
‘If I can take Tony Adams from week one, who didn’t handle to get a step proper, to him dancing like he did each week after that actually, then I can do something.’
Take notice, gents.
