It was a cold October evening exactly six years ago when Katya Jones found herself at the centre of the ‘Strictly curse’.
After a post-training trip to the pub, she and her Strictly partner, comedian Seann Walsh, were caught by the paparazzi kissing in an alleyway. She was married to dancer Neil Jones, also a pro on the BBC show, and Walsh was in a long-term relationship.
Some days later, the photos were sold to a red-top newspaper for around £20,000. For Katya, the aftermath of their publication was utter torment. She was mercilessly trolled on social media, painted as a scarlet woman who had tried to steal another woman’s man.
Both Katya and Seann immediately apologised but they were eliminated from the show a week later. Katya is still so distraught by the episode – she subsequently separated from husband Neil – that even today she will not speak of it. During media interviews there is a non-negotiable rule that Seann’s name or indeed that kiss never be mentioned.
‘She has tried hard to erase it from her history,’ said one source close to her. ‘She can’t bear it.’
Since then, Katya, 35, has made a vow that her Strictly career was going to be about dancing – and dancing alone.
So, when she was paired with the chubby Welsh radio presenter and opera singer Wynne Evans, 52, best known as the star of the Go Compare adverts, she could have been forgiven for hoping that this year’s Strictly – her 14th series – would pass scandal-free.
Katya has moved to Wales so that she can train around Wynne’s schedule and she has spent a lot of time with his family, sources say
‘If Katya gets put with anyone attractive, that’s it, the whole Strictly curse comes up again,’ says a source close to the star. ‘She was judged as a woman who has been involved with a man who is taken and it fitted the Strictly curse narrative perfectly.
‘But Katya just likes to do the dancing, that’s what she is on Strictly to do, and she takes it very seriously. Katya takes so much pride in teaching her partners to dance and she loves to let that speak for itself.’
Yet on Saturday night, Katya’s hopes of keeping drama at bay came crashing down, when viewers spotted a strange interaction with Wynne. The pair had just completed their tango to Abba’s Money, Money, Money, for which they scored an impressive 34 out of 40.
As they smiled for the cameras, Wynne, who was standing behind Katya, moved his hand across her waist before she quickly brushed it away
As they smiled for the cameras, Wynne, who was standing behind Katya, moved his hand across her waist before she quickly brushed it away.
Later, Katya appeared to snub Wynne’s attempt at a high-five, turning away from him.
The clips quickly went viral sparking a flurry of discussion on social media. ‘Anyone else see Katya push Wynne’s hand away?’, asked one fan. ‘Urgh… just seen the clip of Wynne. Katya was clearly uncomfortable,’ said another.
But Katya immediately leapt to Wynne’s defence. The pair insist the wandering hand incident was a ‘silly joke’ in a series of public statements across social media, and repeated the line again on Monday night as they appeared – both rather emotional – on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two.
Wynne said he had watched the footage of the incident back and confessed: ‘I can see how people may have misinterpreted it.’ Clutching his arm Katya said she ‘can’t bear’ the criticism her co-star is getting and said there was no wrongdoing.
‘The idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense. I can’t sit here watching this man being portrayed as someone he’s not,’ she said. ‘In fact, it couldn’t be further away from the truth.
Later, Katya appeared to snub Wynne’s attempt at a high-five, turning away from him
‘I have to make this absolutely clear that this whole incident… was an inside joke between Wynne and I. Was it a silly joke? Yes. Was it a bad joke? Yes.’ I’m told that even some at the BBC ‘have no idea’ what to make of it – and that the pair’s PR campaign to brush off the incident has also raised eyebrows. One insider said: ‘The BBC tend to like to use the age old saying, ‘never complain, never explain’, so this is most unusual.’
Strictly sources tell me that rather than wait for the storm to pass, it was Katya and Wynne’s joint decision to come out fighting, even if it means exacerbating media attention.
So just why has Katya decided to go on the offensive? After all, it was Wynne who made the supposedly inappropriate move.
‘Katya adores Wynne,’ says a Strictly source. ‘She has moved to Wales so that she can train around his schedule and she has spent much time with his family. He is even helping her find a boyfriend because, despite being so stunning, she has been single pretty much since she split from Neil.
‘They have also been enjoying nights out together. Katya has met his children and his girlfriend and has been round to their house for dinner.
‘But what she is so super proud of are their routines and how she has taught Wynne to dance.
‘She is hands-down the best choreographer on Strictly and that is what she loves most about being on the show.
‘For that to be affected by anything on the show is devastating for her.’
I’m told there is some anger among the Strictly production team at the BBC who say the episode ‘is the last thing’ they needed after the Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington row which has left a dark cloud over its current 20th anniversary series.
They had hoped that this year it would all go off without a hitch, a true celebration of dancing.
Even though Katya is not at fault, the corporation did not deny reports that Katya and Wynne were ‘rapped across the knuckles’ over the saga.
The BBC did however ensure its welfare team checked with each of the pair to confirm that nothing was awry – and training room researchers have been keeping meticulous logs of what goes on during rehearsals between every celebrity couple, Wynne and Katya included.
Last night eyebrows were raised as Katya and Wynne hired a crisis PR separate from the BBC – prompting rumours that they may not be singing from same hymn sheet as the corporation.
I’m told Katya is ‘sad’ that the show is being overshadowed by what happened. But she has always insisted that she blocks out criticism as much as she can.
When I interviewed Katya two years ago, (I wasn’t allowed to ask about the Seann incident) she told me she went to great lengths to ignore the noise around her.
After a post-training trip to the pub in 2018, Katya and her then Strictly partner, comedian Seann Walsh, were caught by the paparazzi kissing in an alleyway
She told me: ‘The first day I joined Strictly, I said to myself that I would not allow myself to change or care about people’s opinions. I will always stay authentic to myself, and I have stuck by that.
‘It’s the only reason I have been able to do my job, how I am able to stay the person that I am while being in the public eye. And to have friends and good relationships with people. I have my morals and I stick by them. I would like to think that comes through. People who know me know who I am.’
The Russian siren, full name Ekaterina Andreevna Sokolova, who joined the hit Saturday night show back in 2016, quickly became a fan favourite – particularly among the show’s many male admirers. Yet her time on Strictly has been anything but plain sailing From the start, Katya’s dancing partnerships have made headlines. She first graced the floor with former education secretary Ed Balls, who quickly became known for his awkward moves. Still, the pair charmed viewers, and Katya earned a reputation as a dedicated teacher.
Her next celebrity pairing proved even more successful. Katya won the 2017 series with Holby City actor Joe McFadden, but soon found herself at the centre of the controversy with Seann Walsh.
At the time of the Walsh scandal, Katya was married to fellow Strictly pro dancer Neil Jones
Even so, Katya was given a trailblazing role by the Beeb in 2020 when she became the first professional to dance in a same-sex couple, partnering Olympic boxer Nicola Adams. The Beeb had high hopes for the pair, but their journey was cut short in Week 3 when Katya tested positive for Covid, forcing them out of the competition early.
Next up was Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty. Handsome, muscly and a national heartthrob, his pairing with her led to much chatter over Katya taking on another attractive male partner. Lo and behold, in Week 4 viewers were stunned when they appeared almost to kiss during their racy Argentine tango on live television – even as his then girlfriend watched.
In 2022 it was the turn of former England and Arsenal footballer Tony Adams’ – who admitted he was no ballroom dancer and struggled with his routines despite Katya’s best efforts.
Despite their friendship, tension boiled over in Week 7, when fans spotted the duo having what appeared to be a heated exchange on live TV. Tony had fumbled during their salsa routine, leaving them at the bottom of the leaderboard, and he accused Katya of being ‘over-critical’. A week later, a hamstring injury forced Tony to bow out of the show.
And just last year, Katya found herself unintentionally embroiled in another spat when partnered up with actor Nigel Harman. After receiving disappointing feedback following a high-stakes performance in Blackpool, Nigel reportedly had a public row with his wife, Lucy Liemann, leaving audience members stunned. Katya was later seen comforting her partner, but in Week 11 Nigel quit due to a rib injury.
But back to Katya and Wynne. The BBC hopes that this weekend’s show will go ahead as planned – with the pair scheduled to perform a quickstep to Mr Blue Sky by the Electric Light Orchestra. But some on the show fear that this could be just one drama too far for Katya.
One source tells me: ‘She has really been through it, and every time there is another saga it brings back the Seann episode and it haunts her.
‘Katya is tough and single minded, she has been through worse than the Wynne situation. She just hopes it all dies down soon.’
