Strictly Come Dancing fans have been left rather divided after learning which of the show’s professional dancers would be returning for the upcoming series.
The BBC dance competition has faced its biggest ever shake-up in recent months, with several long-serving dancers following hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman out the exit door.
Just last week, Spanish dancer Gorka Marquez confirmed he wouldn’t be returning to the ballroom after almost a decade in the cast.
He’s far from alone as BBC bosses have bid farewell to former longest-serving dancer Karen Hauer as well as Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, and Luba Mushtuk so far this year.
The Strictly Come Dancing pro line-up has undergone a shake-up
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BBC
On Wednesday, Strictly bosses confirmed new faces would be arriving to fill the void left by the exits, but they are to be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, several returning stars had their spots confirmed amid the cull of pro dancers.
Returning once more are Alexis Warr, Amy Dowden, Aljaz Skorjanec, Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, and reigning champion Carlos Gu.
The news prompted a wave of excitable messages from the returning dancers, but it’s safe to say it irked a number within the Strictly fandom.
After the news was shared on Instagram, several Strictly fans took to the comments to express their dismay that Mr Jones had “survived the cull” of pros by bosses.
2016 will mark Mr Jones’s 10th year as part of the Strictly cast, but within that time, he’s only had three partners.
In fact, it wasn’t until 2019 that he bagged his first partner in the form of Alex Scott. They finished fifth.
Since Ms Scott, Mr Jones has only received two partners. He was dumped out in Week One of series 19 with Nina Wadia, and Week Two of series 22 alongside Toyah Willcox.
Neil Jones is returning to Strictly this year
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PAGiven his relatively disappointing track record, many Instagram users were keen to share their bemusement that he’d retained his spot in the cast.
“How has Neil survived the cull seriously?” one Instagram user questioned, while a second joked: “Neil knows where the bodies are buried.”
“Not Neil again,” a third complained, and a fourth echoed: “How did Neil make the cull?”
“Neil? You kept him and Gorka left. Sad times,” a fifth weighed in, before a sixth was dumbfounded: “Can’t believe they kept Neil.” (sic)
Toyah Willcox was Neil Jones’ most recent partner
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BBCHowever, Mr Jones still had plenty of supporters who were quick to wish him well for the upcoming series.
“Please give @mr_njonesofficial & @nancy_xuxi partners this year,” one fan implored BBC bosses.
A second concurred: “Hope Neil gets a partner this year, but still won’t be the same without Gorka, Karen etc.”
And a third simply put: “If Neil doesn’t get a partner this year it’s a joke.”
Neil Jones’s return sparked debate among Strictly fans
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Mr Jones, himself, avoided any negativity as he too reacted to the news of his return.
Wading into the comments of the announcement on Instagram, he commented: “I can’t believe it will be my 11th series dancing on your screen!”
The BBC dance competition will also welcome judges Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Shirley Ballas to the panel when the show returns later this year.