Strictly’s Katya Jones has the proper to be offended – she deserves higher

Katya Jones mentioned her coronary heart was damaged after this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing – and mine was too.

On Sunday night, two of the strongest {couples} – Katya with Lewis Cope and Amber Davies with Nikita Kuzmin – needed to struggle for his or her place within the semi-finals.

Followers could not imagine what they had been seeing, and neither may I.

As disappointing because the end result was, the 2 {couples} ended up within the dance-off honest and sq. after the judges’ scores had been mixed with the general public vote, regardless of Amber and Nikita scoring an ideal 40 for his or her Guys and Dolls-inspired Charleston.

However it felt merciless to see Katya’s hopes for the Glitterball Trophy shattered as soon as once more.

The skilled dancer, 36, has been a part of Strictly for nearly a decade. She is presently the third-longest serving skilled within the lineup, behind Karen Hauer, who has performed fourteen seasons, and Aljaž Škorjanec, who has performed a complete of 11.

Anybody who’s a fan of the present can affirm that Katya is undoubtedly probably the most proficient skilled dancers, with nice choreography and praised as a wonderful trainer.

And but she has solely been to the ultimate as soon as – when she gained with Joe McFadden in 2017.

I needed to do a double take once I realized her greatest end on Strictly, aside from the win, was fifth place, with Nigel Harman in 2023 and once more with Lewis this 12 months.

Previously, Katya has typically had setbacks within the competitors.

As nice a time as she has had along with her well-known companions, she has been chosen a number of instances to work with stars who had been thought of underdogs from the beginning.

In her freshman 12 months, Katya was paired with Ed Balls, whose flamboyant salsa to Gangnam Model – almost two million views on YouTube – is without doubt one of the most unforgettable moments on this system, for good and unhealthy causes.

On the time, jury member Bruno Tonioli referred to as it the ‘greatest worst dance I’ve ever seen’.

Three years in the past, Katya was given the duty of coaching former soccer star Tony Adams.

After their samba to Sizzling Chocolate’s You Horny Factor, a fan named SiasCreations commented on-line: ‘Katya is probably the most inventive choreographer on the present and he or she at all times brings one thing sudden to the desk. She is aware of learn how to make the most of the strengths of her companions.’

It appears to me that Katya is commonly chosen by the producers of Strictly to work with the so-called ‘weaker’ celebrities, as a result of they know that she will pull off thrilling choreography and on the similar time assist them enhance their dancing expertise.

This 12 months, following Recreation of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn’s withdrawal from Strictly attributable to well being causes, former Emmerdale star Lewis took his place and have become Katya’s accomplice.

Aside from the predictable complaints from some Strictly followers about Lewis’s dancing background – having appeared on stage in Billy Elliot as a baby and showing on the Sky present Received to Dance – it appeared that they had an actual likelihood of going all the way in which.

A attainable victory for Katya appeared a very long time coming, and eight years after her final victory, she greater than deserved it. However it wasn’t meant to be.

She and Lewis achieved two excellent 40s, together with one for his or her couple’s alternative of Radiohead’s Creep, a routine extensively described as ‘probably the greatest dances ever on Strictly’.

There was controversy surrounding Striktly lately, and Katya has actually been by way of the wringer.

In 2018, she was photographed kissing her well-known accomplice, comic and actor Seann Walsh. The response their kiss triggered got here as no shock, as Katya was married to fellow Strictly professional Neil Jones on the time, and Seann was relationship actress Rebecca Humphries.

They apologized collectively on the BBC Two spin-off present It Takes Two, and had been eradicated from the competitors three weeks later.

However, she stayed on and two years later made historical past with Nicola Adams as the primary same-sex couple to compete. Their collaboration was improbable and marked a defining second for illustration on the present.

However they had been brutally pressured to depart the sequence early after Katya examined constructive for Covid.

Final 12 months, Katya labored with opera singer and radio host Wynne Evans, who was criticized after he was filmed together with his hand round Katya’s waist through the Saturday night programme.

Wynne apologized and insisted it was a joke, whereas Katya reiterated.

They reunited through the Strictly stay tour, however Wynne was later suspended after impolite feedback he made about Janette Manrara.

Strictly is without doubt one of the largest exhibits on TV, so it is no shock that the drama that goes on behind the digicam will captivate viewers as a lot because the dances carried out within the ballroom.

However what’s so nice about Katya’s collaboration with Lewis is how improbable they’re on the dance ground collectively.

This was her greatest likelihood at profitable the Glitterball Trophy in virtually a decade. I do not blame Katya for writing on Instagram, “My coronary heart is damaged and it’ll take a while to heal.”

Talking on It Takes Two on Monday, Katya sat subsequent to Lewis as she tearfully mentioned: ‘For a lot of my life I used to be informed, “Much less Katya, much less, cease.” However finally I simply wanted the proper dance accomplice to match it. It is robust, however I am additionally very proud. We’ve got grafted.’

I really feel unhealthy for them that they did not make the ultimate, however the upset their elimination triggered among the many followers solely exhibits how valued and deserving they had been.

Katya has mentioned she is each proud and heartbroken. She’s not alone.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.35pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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