Strictly star Neil Jones, 39, has opened up about his life-changing decision to make the step up from being an amateur to a professional dancer.
Neil originally danced in amateur competitions with his wife and fellow Strictly star Katya Jones. who he split up with in 2019.
Katya, a World Latin champion, formed a dance partnership with Neil in 2008 and they won the World Amateur Latin Championships a total of three times, before turning professional in 2013.
In 2015, they won the World Professional Latin Showdance Champions and are also four times undefeated British National Professional Champions.
Despite their professional success, Neil was initially hesitant to turn professional because “everything” was going right for the pair and they been consistently winning for three years.
But Neil decided to make the transition after others told him he appeared to be “unhappy” and encouraged him to take the next step in his career.
He also disclosed how he now takes more risks now than he did previously after turning professional.
He told The Midlife Mentors podcast: “I like taking risks and over time, especially with the competitions, when you start winning, you stop taking as many risks because you get to a point where everything is going right.
"You’re like, ‘Let’s not make any changes’ because everything is going right, but then something inside of you says, ‘I’m bored, I can’t do this anymore, this is boring'.
“We [him and Katya] were still winning and we were working with a sports psychiatrist and it was a decision to turn professional.
“It's the next level up. I wanted to stay in the amateur section, we had been winning for three years, I said, ‘Can we just do it for one more year?’ I remember them asking, ‘But why? You don’t seem happy. Maybe if you turn pro, and you’re not going to be winning, it gives you the drive’.
“We did it and it was the drive we needed."
Katya previously discussed on the She’s Just A Dancer podcast how she previously had many dreams and goals which would motivate her to perform.
She admitted after the pair won 26 dance competitions she began to “hate” being successful and found it “tough” to carry on competing.
Katya said her 'competitive nature helped her to chase her dreams' but her enthusiasm began to fade after the pair topped of the World Latin Championship league.
She said: “You’re like, ‘Oh I want to get those this place now. Or I can improve and get to the final. Or the next step is to get to fourth or third, and then first.
“It is all exciting because you keep climbing up that big mountain. You see those little checkpoints, but once I was at the top, or me and Neil, I absolutely hated being there.
“I had a really tough time turning up to competitions, although we won 26 competitions in a row, so we have reached that top.
“I remember my feelings about dancing in the final thinking, ‘I’m about to win this competition, what the hell am I doing right here on the floor?’
“So my mind would be floating somewhere else instead of enjoying the moment. The only thing that kept me going is that I loved dancing."
