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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

Strictly Come Dancing couple Katya and Neil Jones split after 11 years

Katya and Neil Jones have announced their separation in an official statement.

The Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers, who recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary and have been together 11 years, say they will continue to love each other as friends.

Posting a joint statement on their Instagram pages, they told fans that they'll keep working and dancing together.

The statement says: "As our fans and loyal supporters you are really important to us and so we wanted to let you know some news. 
"After 11 years, we have made the mutual decision to separate.

"We will always love each other, just in a different way as friends. This will never change what a great team we make and we are really proud of everything we have achieved together.

"Our shared love of dance means we will keep working and dancing together as well as exploring individual projects. No matter what we do we will always support and respect each other.

"We wish one another every happiness and we will remain the best of friends. We are really looking forward to getting back to the ballroom and can't wait to keep on dancing.

"Lots of love from us both."

The former couple, who married in 2013, joined the BBC1 celebrity dance show in 2016.

Neil, who has participated in the group dances and is on standby for female celebrities whose partners are unable to perform on the show, has yet to be paired with a celebrity in the contest.

Katya was partnered with former shadow chancellor Ed Balls in her first year and in 2017 she won the show with actor Joe McFadden.

During last year's series the Russian dancer hit headlines when she was pictured kissing her celeb partner, comedian Seann Walsh, on a night out.

Neil and Katya put the incident behind them and remained together following the scandal, which ended Seann's relationship with Rebecca Humphries.

Strictly Come Dancing will be back for its 17th series next month with a host of new celebrities set to take to the floor including Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldsley and Manchester-based BBC sport presenter Mike Bushell.

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