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BAWL ROOM AGONY
Strictly’s Katya Jones’ friends blame her floundering performances on ‘heartbreak as she struggles to move on from Neil’
LEGS akimbo, skidding across the dancefloor, she looked more like a would-be bride on her hen do than a three-time world dance champion.
In recent weeks, Katya Jones' floundering performances on Strictly Come Dancing have startled viewers.
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Some cruel fans have even suggested she’s been hitting the bottle, but I can reveal the real reason — heartbreak.
Contrary to reports, friends claim she is still struggling to move on from her six-year marriage to fellow pro dancer Neil Jones.
The pair announced their break-up in August — ten months after Katya was snapped snogging her then Strictly dance partner Seann Walsh outside a bar.
Katya has also been attacked online by trolls and received vile death threats, as an ongoing campaign of abuse has gathered force behind the scenes. Not surprisingly, it has all taken its toll.
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Last night a source told me: “Katya is a tough woman, with a thick skin but she is only human, and has been pushed too far. Neil has been her best friend for over ten years, and suddenly he is not really in her life any more — they exchange pleasantries on set, and that’s it.
“They’re both flirty people, and have had quite a bit of interest from other parties, but Katya isn’t ready to move on — she still wears her wedding ring. The final straw came after she fell over on the show, and was bombarded by keyboard warriors accusing her of being drunk and unprofessional.
“People also brought up the past, and started accusing her all over again of being a home wrecker.
It was deeply upsetting so she was emotional again last week, which led to more abuse. She seems caught in a vicious circle.”
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Her clinch with comic Seann — then in a long-term relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries — saw Katya branded a “slut” and a “home-wrecking slag” by trolls.
Neil was seemingly rewarded this series with his first ever celebrity dance partner, ex-footballer, Alex Scott, while his wife was partnered with notoriously clumsy sports presenter, Mike Bushell. But Katya doggedly embarked on a gruelling rehearsal scheme with the broadcaster, spending 50 hours in the studio the previous week.
It paid off. Despite being tipped for elimination, the pair racked up 32 points with the judges praising them as “much improved”. And as the music faded, Katya collapsed to the floor in tears.
Fans again questioned the usually ice-cool pro and co-host Claudia Winkleman told her: “I’ve never seen you like this before”.
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But Katya later put her emotion down to the relief of getting to the end of a tough week.
A source added: “Mike and Katya were both full of cold, hardly sleeping and under stress to nail their routine. No wonder she was emotional. Katya would never drink before a performance — she rarely drinks during the week either — so the idea she was tipsy is preposterous.”
The previous week Katya had to use social media to deny boozing allegations after her fall during the pair’s cha-cha-cha. Minutes later she appeared to tumble again, en route to speak to Claudia — but later insisted it was a deliberate gag.
Let’s hope she can hold it together from here on in.
Strictly star Mike Bushell says Katya Jones has 'crashed her car and hit him in the face' before show fall
Vogue is ready four tot
SPENCER Matthews and Vogue Williams have told how they are on the brink of trying for baby number two – revealing they want four children.
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The couple, who marked a year since baby Theodore’s arrival in September, say they’d love the tot to have at least TWO more siblings. And Vogue joked that the pair had “better get their skates on” if they want to achieve their perfect number.
Vogue told me: “We are not quite ready to go again, but I’d say we’re close enough. We would love to have three and I’d love to have the option of four.
“I think we’ll need to get our skates on for that, though. The first time we got super-lucky and I fell pregnant quickly, but it’s not always the case, so we’ll see. I wasn’t the biggest fan of being pregnant – I was so uncomfortable I didn’t want anyone to touch me – but I think you forget and get on with it.”
Spencer added: “I’m very touchy-feely, so pregnancy made our close relationship even closer. I was even more touchy-feely because it made me feel like I was getting closer to my son. But Vogue did not like being harassed.”
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The couple welcomed TV cameras into their lives both during Vogue’s pregnancy last year and during their first months with baby Theodore. The second series of their show, Spencer, Vogue and Wedding Two, begins on Monday at E4 at 10pm. And the couple admitted that this time around they were filmed having at least one row, and had to ask the director to cut the footage.
The row saw the couple bickering after Spencer left the tot in their bed without a nappy and he had an accident over the sheets.
Spencer said: “Afterwards I asked the director if she could cut the footage, as it’s not really what the show is about – it’s so light-hearted. But it’s up to her whether she leaves it out or not. Generally, though, rows are rare, because we do get on extremely well together. Vogue is an amazing mum.”
Can't 'Liv it down
LOVE Actually’s singing schoolgirl Olivia Olson wants X Factor: Celebrity to help her get a sexier, more grown-up image.
But she has vowed not to do a Miley Cyrus, promising she won’t be twerking or smoking weed. Olivia, who performed on last night’s show, told me: “Everyone knows me as the All I Want For Christmas girl. I’m trying to break away from the image.
“And many child stars do that in crazier ways . . . but I never wanted to do that.”
Saffron gives AJ rumours waltz for
SAFFRON Barker vows she and AJ Pritchard will not be hit by the Strictly curse – insisting: “I‘d never steal someone’s boyfriend.”
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The blonde was linked to the dancer after they were pictured getting close during preparation for the show. And Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan recently made them squirm as he asked them on his show: “Are you two at it like all the Strictly couples? Or not?”
But Saffron, who found fame on YouTube and has more than two million subscribers, last night insisted pro dancer AJ is happy with his girlfriend of three months, Abbie Quinnen.
Saffron told the Sun on Sunday: “I’m enjoying time with AJ. We’ve become close. We’ve got the same humour. Today we were having a pretend wrestling match on the floor but there is nothing romantic.
"The fact AJ has a girlfriend is the worst thing about the rumours because I wouldn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. But she doesn’t, she comes to watch us – she’s a dancer, so it doesn’t upset her to see us dancing. She knew rumours would happen.”
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Saffron, who wowed judges with her dancing last night, wanted to be paired with AJ from the start but tells how she laid into him after the launch show, for jeopardising their partnership by letting slip her name in a TV interview.
Quizzed before the reveal of the pairings, AJ said: “I’ve been in the semi-finals three years in a row. As they say, fourth year’s a charm. Straight to the final. Saffron . . . we can make it to the final. There it is. I’ve thrown it out there.”
But she added: “We’re both so determined and will push each other. Sometimes he stops for a break and I’m like, ‘Hello, get up! Let’s do that again!’ And he makes me watch videos of our dance. So I dance all day, go home and think about dance, then dream about dance. Then I wake up and dance. I love it.”
Craig's same-sex struggle
STRICTLY judge Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he launched a campaign for same-sex couples on the BBC1 show FIVE years ago.
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The acid-tongued critic said he was delighted to see ITV’s Dancing On Ice announce its first all-male couple for 2020 recently. And he told of his hopes that the BBC will follow its lead.
He said: “I have fought for five years to get same-sex partners on the BBC. I really encourage it, so good on Dancing On Ice. Hopefully Strictly will follow suit, and I believe they will.”
MOST READ IN BIZARRE
Next year’s Dancing On Ice will also feature a new judge John Barrowman, after controversial panellist Jason Gardiner jumped the ship.
But Craig, who is also known for his barbed jibes, insisted he isn’t worried about the tide turning against sharper judging of celebs.
He said: “Who knows why Jason isn’t doing it, maybe he wanted more money. I doubt very much it was because of his comments. It certainly hasn’t made me worry. I am going to continue as I am, darling, and always will.”
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood blames Katya Jones for the kiss with Seann Walsh again
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