EXCLUSIVE: Neil Jones takes a swipe at his Strictly co-stars by claiming he and snubbed Nadiya Bychkova ‘don’t need’ celebrity partners because they’re ‘world champions’

Neil Jones has taken a swipe at his Strictly co-stars by claiming he and jilted Nadiya Bychkova don’t need celebrity partners because they are world champions – unlike the majority of professional dancers.

Despite appearing on the BBC One show for the past six years, Neil, 41, has only had two celebrity partners: sports pundit Alex Scott, 38, in 2019 and 2021 contestant, actress Nina Wadia, 54.

This year marks the first time his co-star Nadiya was paired with a celebrity, raising questions about the process involved in matching contestants to their professional pairings.

But Neil claims he and Nadiya, 34, in particular “don’t need” a celebrity partner because they are both world champions, and apart from his ex-wife Katya Jones, 34, they are the only Strictly professionals to hold that title. within the entire cast.

He told MailOnline: ‘If someone makes a joke and we joke a lot with each other, it’s still I’ve won 45 titles… four times world champion… 15 times British… I’ve done it all, I’ve done it all. don’t need it.

“The boys know it too and they really respect me, and they even joke when something happens ‘but Neil is a four-time world champion'” and they’ve never won any of those events.

“There’s only three of us who are world champions on the show, me, Katya and Nadiya… me and Katya are the only pros to win Blackpool… it’s those things, we’ve done that. Strictly speaking, it’s a different thing.

“Our roles are not about us. I understand from the show that the professional dancers have become very popular, but we are there for the celebrities and to let them shine.”

Neil, whose accolades include winning the British National Dance Championships eight times and becoming the Latin World Champion four times, says the Strictly partnerships are based on height and whether the pair look good together, and that he will be ready to compete with a celebrity. again if the opportunity presented itself.

He said, “I tell production every year, ‘I love being a part of this show, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.

‘If there is a famous partner for me… and you can see that now, everyone fits… if you look at all the partnerships.

‘It depends on height, personalities, that’s what it comes down to. Alex was the right partner for me. Nina was the right partner for me…

“Those times they find the right partner for me, I’m ready, and they know I can do the job and the other times I’m so happy to be there for them and support everyone and the show.”

This week, head judge Shirley Ballas has been criticized for a year in a row after claims she puts down the show’s female celebrity contestants while awarding the men higher scores.

During Saturday night’s live broadcast, Shirley gave the fewest points of all four judges, including Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke ahead of Zara McDermott, Ellie Leach and Angela Rippon.

But Neil has defended Shirley’s scores, insisting her critic has ‘nothing to do with gender’ and that she is simply a tough taskmaster.

He said: ‘Shirley has knowledge in abundance and when she sees someone dancing, like all of us we can be emotional but she’s a technician so when she loves it, even with Nigel she said on Saturday: ‘absolutely brilliant but wrong footwork’ was harsh on him, it’s not just women.

‘It has nothing to do with gender, I think it’s something that the audience notices more than what actually happens. Shirley is there as a judge and sometimes you will love what she says, but sometimes you won’t. She says exactly what you will all see.

‘She’s so professional. We always call Shirley the most professional, professional. As a dancer you would always want to dance with someone like Shirley because she is on her feet and knows exactly how to do every move. She knows the book inside and out.’

Neil is the new celebrity ambassador for skincare brand Shakeup Cosmetics, which sells products created to help men improve the appearance of their skin.

And Neil admits he needs some help with his under-eye bags after becoming a dad for the first time this week with girlfriend and former Love Island contestant Chyna Mills.

The couple announced on Wednesday that their daughter was born next to a sweet image of her feet, captioning the Instagram post: ‘Our hearts are so full.’

Not working with a celebrity partner on Strictly this year will allow Neil to spend more time at home with his baby, as the new dad explained he is only needed in the studio on Saturday nights.

He said: ‘It’s brilliant… it feels amazing. This is my first child.

‘Luckily this year is easier because I don’t have a partner and when you don’t have a partner you have more time.

“Currently we have filmed so many group songs, which are pre-recorded. Even before the show starts we have been busy for seven weeks and during the live shows I go on Saturdays.’

Neil started using Shakeup Cosmetics, founded by twin brothers Shane and Jake Xu, over a year ago to combat early signs of aging and he says the simplicity of the products and the results make it the perfect choice for the busy worker.

He favors the Age Def-eye Instant Lifting Eye Cream, which is formulated with a blend of caffeine and iPeptide to help tackle dark circles and wrinkles, especially now that he’ll be enduring sleepless nights.