As she prepares to waltz back on to the dance floor for her 10th series of Strictly Come Dancing, Katya Jones is as raring to go as she was a decade ago
She wants to find a love like the kind her parents share(Image: Reach PLC / Alex James)
As Katya Jones gears up for her 10th series on Strictly Come Dancing, she’s as eager as ever.
Now aged 36, the three-time World and nine-time National Latin American champion has experienced some significant years on the show, with plenty of ups and downs.
“I’m always curious about how I’ll feel when the call comes to tell me if I have a job or not and this year was no different,” she shares with OK! magazine.
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“Every year I ask myself, ‘Is this still what I want to do? Do I love it as much as I did on day one?’ and the answer this time was, ‘Without a shadow of a doubt, yes.'”.
Katya, originally from Russia and who started dancing at six, clinched the Glitterball with Holby City actor Joe McFadden in 2017.
Strictly Come Dancing 2017 winner Joe McFadden with dance partner Katya Jones in Birmingham on the show’s Live Tour (Image: Birmingham Mail)
The trophy takes pride of place in her ‘hobby room’, alongside her cherished piano and sewing machine.
But their victory gave her more than just a sparkly trophy – it boosted her self-belief.
“Before, as a multi-World and British champion, the feeling was, ‘You’re never good enough,'” Katya confides.
“Standing on the podium, I often didn’t feel I deserved to win. I’d be thinking, ‘But I didn’t do this bit right,’ or, ‘What will my coach say?'”.
Today, Katya acknowledges that her triumph with Joe was “pretty incredible” and that her duties as a professional dancer extend far beyond securing the coveted trophy.
“My first year with Ed was unexpectedly wonderful for me, and I think it was an unexpected highlight for everyone else,” she says. “Because of that, it was the first time in my life I thought, ‘I’m good at this.'”.
“Being able to encourage someone to train after an awful day is a win for me. Working out a routine that lets my celeb partner shine is a win.
“There are lots of less obvious wins than the Glitterball win, even though that’s pretty incredible, too.”
Naturally, Katya has endured her fair share of difficult periods. In 2019, she and fellow Strictly Come Dancing professional Neil Jones parted ways following six years of marriage.
More lately, she found herself embroiled in the controversy surrounding the on- and off-screen behaviour of her partner Wynne Evans.
The programme has also been rocked by controversies involving the ‘Strictly curse’ and misconduct allegations against professional dancers.
“The press interest in the show is huge, so I just focus on the work,” she says. ” People can like or dislike me, they can criticise me, but not my work if I do it well.
“It’s like I have two parallel lives – my public life and what really happens in my life. They co-exist but they’re not the same.
“My real life is when I go for a walk with the dogs or play piano. Whatever noise is out there about my parallel life, I won’t let it spoil real life.
“This is the message I would love everyone to hear from me – the outside noise doesn’t define your true life.”
Whilst she refuses to allow negativity to impact her, maintaining there’s no point “fighting it”, there have nonetheless been some challenging moments that “could have gone either way”.
“I remember, about a year after the first big scandal, I read some silly online comments and had a breakdown in my car,” she recalls.
“I FaceTimed my mum, who was in a gym class and I couldn’t get my words out.
“I was probably looking for sympathy and soft words but my mum knows me so well. She said, ‘Stop crying! Do you think everybody’s going to be nice to you? No. So wipe your tears and go and crack on with your job. You’re good at it and you signed up to it.’
“It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it worked. What I needed in that moment was a kick up the a*** from my mum!”.
During her decade on Strictly, Katya has endeavoured to stay authentic.
“When I joined, I told myself I must stay true to myself,” she reveals. “Pretending to be someone else is hard work and I didn’t need that on top of such an intense job.
“I’d like to say I’ve remained myself, on and off the show. That’s what has allowed me to do it for 10 years.”
She’s also committed to personal growth, explaining, “I consciously want to be the best version of myself for my friends, for my family, for someone who will hopefully walk into my life. But this year I realised it’s probably time to just live.
“I’ve learnt that I’m in control of my reactions, the way I communicate, what I bring to situations. I trained myself to pause, create a mental gap before reacting, and think, ‘What’s the right thing to do to make myself proud?’ That’s quite powerful.”
Whilst Katya’s parents remain in Russia, her life is firmly rooted in London, where she enjoys a “family fix” with nearby neighbours Janette Manrara, Aljaz Skorjanec and their daughter Lyra. Her closest mate Aimee Fuller, a two-time Olympic snowboarder, fulfils nearly every other requirement.
Beyond sharing a passion for yoga, kickboxing, padel and wakesurfing, they split household expenses, car insurance costs and “keep toothbrushes in each other’s bathrooms”.
Katya’s tight friendships don’t fulfil the romantic element though, so is that something she’s pursuing?
“For the last few years I’ve been so happy on my own. I have passions and things I enjoy doing, but I’m at the point now where I’m so ready,” she grins.
“I would love that to happen. Me and Aimee talk about how exciting it’ll be when we both have partners. I feel like I can be really good for someone and I have so much love to give.”
She has attempted dating applications, but discovered them rather unsuccessful, with her messages flooding with enquiries such as, ‘Are you going to teach me to dance?’, alongside several preconceived notions about her identity.
“On Strictly, you only have a few seconds to talk to the presenters and I want it to be about the celebrity, not me,” she says. “So someone might think they know me, but they don’t really.
“They don’t know that I sit in silence and sew or that I love playing the piano. Sometimes it’s nice to show up to a date and talk about who I really am, and what’s important to me.”
Now in her mid-thirties, Katya is exploring the possibility of freezing her eggs, should it take her longer than she anticipates to discover her Mr Right.
“It gives you that peace of mind so you don’t feel like you’re being rushed. It’s liberating to have options,” she says.
“But, you know, I might meet someone tomorrow. Things change so quickly.
“Maybe we’ll be having this conversation in a year’s time and I’ll be married with kids. So I’m exploring it, but I’m really hopeful I’ll meet someone.
“My parents had me and my brother young, in their 20s, but times have changed. I have an amazing job that I love and I explore the world and travel – I have so many amazing opportunities. So we have to look at the idea of family differently.
“It’s not a template any more. My parents have been married for 41 years and they still hold hands. I adore it. That’s what I want.”
Despite facing numerous challenges over the past decade, Katya doesn’t regret her decision to join Strictly.
“I wouldn’t change a single thing. It’s all shaped me into the person I am today,” she says, before adding with a mischievous chuckle, “and there are a lot of fun stories for dinner parties!”.
“I know my body won’t let me dance at this level forever, so I’m already thinking about the future. Judging on Dancing With The Stars Belgium this year was a dream. I loved every second.
“It felt natural and I realised I can bring something different to the panel, not just as a champion dancer but also from years of guiding celebs as a pro. So don’t be surprised if you see me eyeing up a judge’s chair for good.”