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Katya Jones says she almost quit Strictly after last year's quarter-final exit

Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones says she was "heartbroken" by her and Lewis Cope's quarter-final elimination in 2025 and doubted whether she could return. She is back for her 11th year, partnered with John Nellis.

2 outlets · 1L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Daily Mail
Image: The Independent

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones has said she almost quit the BBC show after being left "heartbroken" by how the 2025 series ended for her. Mixed · 2Jones was partnered with actor Lewis Cope in 2025 and they were eliminated in the quarter-finals; the Daily Mail says they lost a dance-off to Love Islander Amber Davies and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, while the Independent says they had been favourites to win. Mixed · 2In an interview with MailOnline, Jones said she questions herself every year about whether she is ready for the "really intense, really all-consuming" show, and that last year "there was a lot of doubt" about whether she could "face it again".

Left · 1She said expectations had been very high, including from outside, and that having the run "cut short was a little bit tough". Mixed · 2Jones, 37, who has been on the show since 2016, decided to stay for an 11th year, saying that the moment she stops loving Strictly is when she will walk away. Right · 1This year she is paired with YouTuber John Nellis, which she says has renewed her passion; they topped the leaderboard in week one with 31 out of 40 for a Foxtrot, then scored 23 for a Titanic-inspired Couples Choice in Movie Week, according to the Daily Mail.

Left · 1The Independent adds that Nellis is currently the favourite to win and that Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden were the first couple eliminated from the 2026 series, which continues on Saturday 10 October. Right · 1The Daily Mail places her comments after a shake-up in which longstanding professionals including Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk were axed earlier this year, and recalls the 2018 controversy over her kiss with partner Seann Walsh. Left · 1The Independent recalls that after the 2025 exit, Jones cried on It Takes Two, blamed herself and said the pair had been expected to deliver a near-perfect routine every Saturday, while Cope told her "You did everything perfectly".

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
The Independent presents a concise celebrity-news piece built on the quit admission, adding background on last year's emotional exit and this year's standings.
Emphasis
Jones's emotional reaction in 2025, the pressure on her and Cope, and Nellis being favourite.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the dance-off opponents, the axed professionals or the 2018 Seann Walsh episode.
Charged language
“shock exit”“moving tribute”
For example
“Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones was so “heartbroken” by her elimination last year that she almost quit the BBC show.” — The Independent

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Daily Mail treats it as an exclusive interview, leading with the near-quit admission and adding wider Strictly context: pro dancer departures, online trolling and the 2018 scandal.
Emphasis
The dance-off defeat, her resilience to online criticism, and this year's scores with Nellis.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not say Cope and Jones were favourites or mention Nellis being tipped to win.
Charged language
“axed”“QUIT”“Heartbroken”
For example
“Katya has also had to stand up to a fair amount of scrutiny and trolling during her time on the show” — Daily Mail