Strictly Come Dancing is back for its 20th series and while there are plenty of professional dancers taking part, not all of them will be getting a celebrity partner
Hayley Anderson TV Reporter and Joe Crutchley TV reporter
14:03, 18 Oct 2025
Why Strictly’s Neil Jones doesn’t have partner despite joining cast almost 10 years ago(Image: (Image: BBC))
Strictly Come Dancing has returned with a fresh line-up of celebrities ready to showcase their dance skills, but once again, Neil Jones finds himself without a partner.
On Saturday (October 18), the 2025 cast will take to the dance floor to show off their best moves, alongside their dedicated professional dancers. This year’s celebrity line-up includes big names such as Amber Davies, Jimmy Floyd, George Clarke, Alex Kingston, Ellie Golstein and La Voix.
However, not all of the beloved professional dancers will be joining the BBC competition this year, including fan favourite Neil Jones.
Neil Jones, known for his cheerful demeanour, has been a mainstay in the Strictly professional family since 2016, but for the first few years, he wasn’t assigned a partner.
Neil is a firm favourite(Image: Daily Mirror)
He danced with two celebrities on Christmas specials and it wasn’t until 2019 that Neil was finally given his first partner on the series, footballer Alex Scott, according to the Express. They made quite an impact in the competition, securing fifth place, but the following year, Neil was once again relegated to the group dances.
He returned in 2021 with former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia, but they were the first duo to be eliminated. And last year, Neil was partnered with pop star Toyah Wilcox, finishing in 14th place.
He competed last year(Image: BBC)
Despite being a part of Strictly, not all dancers are guaranteed to compete, instead they’re used for those big glitzy routines on a Sunday night for the results show. Thus, while Neil is one of the more memorable professionals on the programme, he has only participated in the contest three times.
Also sitting out of the competition for the 2025 series is Russian dancer Luba Mushtuk who was paired with Olympic rower James Cracknell OBE, the first to be booted off, followed by American footballer Jason Bell in 2020, who was the second to be voted off.
Neil is a dad to one daughter(Image: GETTY)
She has been part of the professional dancers’ line-up since 2018 but Luba has been part of the Strictly family for years, working as an assistant choreographer.
Although he’s been benched for the Strictly 2025 series, Neil is still busy appearing on the show every Saturday night. He also recently joined the team at BBC’s Morning Live, and his family life is also keeping him occupied.
In October he and his Love Island star fiancée Chyna Mills’ were celebrating as their daughter, Havana, who they welcomed in October 2023, turned two.
He was in the headlines a few years ago(Image: BBC)
Neil found himself in the spotlight for a very different reason a few years ago, thanks to his ex-wife and dance partner Katya Jones. She was snapped kissing her celebrity dance partner and comedian Seann Walsh on a night out in 2018 and went on to dance in the live show together, making for awkward viewing for fans.
Neil and Katya confirmed their decision to part ways less than a year later. They issued a statement at the time, marking the end of their six-year marital journey.
Strictly Come Dancing airs every weekend on BBC One.
