Strictly Come Dancing fans are concerned one of series’ pros is about to quit the show following a new career move.
The long-running BBC dance series — which started in 2004 — sees celebrities team up with professional dancers to impress the judges and claim the glitterball trophy.
But while the series is stacked with famous faces every year, the dancing pros who lend their expertise to Strictly have become big names in their own right.
Which is why some fans are scared by the prospect of one of them leaving the show.
Katya Jones, 35, first joined the competition as a pro in 2016 and was famously partnered with TV presenter and former Labour politician Ed Balls.
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She’s since won the competition alongside Scottish actor Joseph McFadden — that was in 2017 — and was most recently partnered with Wynne Evans.
But Strictly viewers are concerned following a recent announcement from Katya, with some worried that she may be leaving the BBC show behind in the near future.
On Instagram, Katya revealed she is going to become a judge on Dancing With the Stars Belgium, which started in 2006 and is the Flemish version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Sharing the news with her 251,000 followers, she wrote: ‘I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be joining Dancing with the Stars Belgium as a judge!’
She continued: ‘It’s time to bring my passion and knowledge to the panel and celebrate the art of dance that unites us all, celebrates diversity and brings people together.’
Katya then joked about her lack of Flemish knowledge, asking her fans in Belgium: ‘Teach me some Flemish words that I can use on the show?’
Originally titled Sterren op de Dansvloer (Stars on the Dancefloor), the series went off the air in 2012 but returned in 2018 under the name Dancing With the Stars Belgium.
Katya Jones' history on Strictly Come Dancing
2016: Ed Balls (6th)
Avg. score: 22.6
2017: Joe McFadden (WINNER)
Avg. score: 33.8
2018: Seann Walsh (11th)
Avg. score: 22.5
2019: Mike Bushell (8th)
Avg. score: 23.5
2020: Nicola Adams (10th – withdrew)
Avg. score: 28.3
2021: Adam Peaty (9th)
Avg. score: 26.6
2022: Tony Adams (9th)
Avg. score: 22.0
2023: Nigel Harman (5th)
Avg. score: 30.7
2024: Wynne Evans (8th)
Avg. score: 30.8
The popularity of the new series has scared some fans into thinking Katya might be leaving Strictly behind, with @MrWaterlily asking: ‘I hope this doesn’t mean you’re leaving Strictly in the UK?’
@NeilSwamamntLane was also worried, commenting: ‘I hope you are not leaving Strictly — please?’ among the messages of congratulations from Katya’s viewers and friends.
However, fans will be pleased to know Katya is not leaving Strictly. The Strictly Come Dancing pros for the 2025 series have already been confirmed, and Katya is among the list of names.
In even better news, all of the professional dancers from the 2024 series will be returning, including Amy Dowden, who had to step aside midway through the competition last year due to injury.
The list also contains Johannes Radebe, whose future on Strictly Come Dancing had been cast into doubt following speculation in the press about his work schedule.
Early speculation about the 2025 line-up of celebrities has already begun, despite there being five months until the competition starts again.
Ex On the Beach star Ashley Cain has been tipped, while singer Stacey Solomon, TV’s Miranda Hart, Big Brother’s Yinrin Huang, and presenter Angellica Bell have all been rumoured.
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