Strictly star Neil Jones breaks his silence after being benched again
Another year for Neil without a partnerStrictly Come Dancing dancer Neil Jones has responded with a cheeky joke after missing out on a celebrity partner again.
The dancer addressed the outcome in an Instagram clip following yesterday’s launch show (Saturday, September 20).
The launch confirmed Neil’s lack of a celebrity partner, despite his place within the professional cast.
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Neil Jones turns his Strictly setback into a joke on Instagram
Neil’s playful video turned the setback into a visual gag.
“If I get the pen in the cup I will get a celeb partner,” a caption on the video read.
In the clip, he tried throwing a pen into a cup before a much larger bin replaced it.
Neil then went to drop the pen in the bin before someone off-screen caught it. Pulling a sad face as silly music played, Neil then stormed off.
“You know I love being part of @bbcstrictly,” Neil wrote.
“And honestly, after adding 2 Guinness World Records last year to my 45 titles around the world, I feel like it would be greedy to win the glitter ball as well, so I wanted to give the others a chance.”
Fans took to the comment section to send the dancer their love. “JUSTICE FOR NEIL!!” one fan commented.
“Neil please…don’t do this, think we are mourning more than you at this point,” another said.
“I just love you being part of it! Best professional!” a third wrote. “Love you and your energy, Neil, so sad that you don’t have a partner again,” another added.
Neil Jones’s limited Strictly pairings
Neil joined Strictly in 2016, yet has received celebrity partners in only three of his 11 series.
His most recent opportunity came with Toyah Willcox in 2024.
The pair were eliminated in the third week, ending his latest run towards the Glitterball Trophy.
However, the dancer has regularly appeared in the show’s Christmas specials. He has had six partners, with his most recent being Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley.
Strictly continues next Saturday (September 26) from 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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