‘My dream dance partner is Meghan!'

Strictly Come Dancing star Neil Jones on wanting to hit the dance floor with the Duchess of Sussex, facing trolls and life in lockdown

- BOBBY NORRIS

A world champion ballroom and Latin dancer, Neil Jones waltzed his way into the Strictly Come Dancing professional cast in 2016.

The 38-year-old was famously married to his co-star Katya Jones for six years, but their relationship ended in 2019 after Katya was spotted kissing her celebrity partner, comedian Seann Walsh.

Since then, Neil had a whirlwind romance last summer with Colombian dancer, Luisa Eusse, but that was short-lived and they split in December.

When I give him a call, Neil tells me that while he’s not been put off dating, he will now be more protective of his privacy.

“If I was in a relationship, I wouldn’t be so quick to put it out there for people to know about it,” he explains. “As time goes on, I like to keep my work and my personal life separate.”

Here, Neil opens up on his mental health, his dream future and not letting trolls get to him…

Hey Neil! How have you been during this third lockdown?

It’s definitely getting harder. In the first lockdown I was always searching for something to fill my time, like doing TikToks or doing my house up. I felt like it was a nice, well-needed break. When it got to the second lockdown, I was busy with Strictly. So now, with the third one, I feel like it’s been so long – it’s been a year. It’s definitely at the point where I’m hoping things will get better. But also, I’m seeing how it’s affecting people’s mental health.

Totally! Do you think it’s important for people to speak up about their mental health?