Will Neil Jones finally get a celebrity partner on Strictly Come Dancing this year?
Neil, who this week announced his split from fellow Strictly pro Katya Jones, has been on the show since 2016 but has yet to get a celebrity partner.
Instead, he’s been performing in the pro group routines as well as the show’s one-off specials and live tour.
But could 2019 be Neil’s year to be part of a celebrity couple on the main show?
According to The Sun newspaper, Neil will indeed get a partner this year, with the tabloid claiming that Gorka Marquez will sit the series out as a reserve.
Speaking previously about rumours of him getting a partner, Neil said: “I don’t know, fingers crossed. We all find out two weeks beforehand. There’s normally – they book all the celebs [first].”
“[Having a partner] would be really good,” he added. “I enjoy every moment of it, so it’s really nice. Even if I have the same role again, I don’t mind. But it would be good.”
Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Katya will also get a celebrity partner despite claims that she would be benched for the 2019 series.
A source told The Sun: “She was lined up for a back-up role following the controversy of the last series and accepted she would just have to ride this year out.
“But the way the bookings panned out, a space has come open and she’ll be part of the main series.”
The Strictly Come Dancing 2019 professionals line up was confirmed at the start of this year.
This year’s women on the Strictly pro cast with Katya are Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Janette Manrara, Karen Clifton, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and new pro Nancy Xu.
Alongside Neil, the male pros joining them are are Aljaž Škorjanec, Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice, Graziano Di Prima and Johannes Radebe.
Pasha Kovalev won’t be returning having decided to quit after 8 years.
Strictly Come Dancing will start on TV in September on BBC One.
