Katya Jones
Katya Jones (born Ekaterina Andreevna Sokolova; Russian: Екатерина Андреевна Соколова; 12 May 1989)[1] is a Russian dancer, choreographer and environmentalist.[2] She is best known for being a professional dancer on the competition show Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2017 with dance partner Joe McFadden. In the 2020 season, Jones was paired with retired professional and Olympic champion boxer Nicola Adams OBE; they became the first same-sex couple to compete in the history of the UK competition's format.
Katya Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ekaterina Andreevna Sokolova 12 May 1989 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer |
| Spouse(s) | Neil Jones (m. 2013 sep. 2019) |
Early life
She was born in Sestroretsk, near Leningrad, Soviet Union and started dancing at the age of six, training in gymnastics as well as Ballroom and Latin-American dancing.[3] Her father is a senior oil company executive and her Korean mother is a graduate in engineering.[4]
Strictly Come Dancing
In 2016, Jones became a professional in the BBC ballroom dancing show Strictly Come Dancing for its fourteenth series.[5] Jones was partnered with former Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls. For the fifteenth series, Jones partnered Holby City actor Joe McFadden and the couple were the series winners.[6] For the sixteenth series Jones partnered comedian Seann Walsh. For the seventeenth series, she was partnered with BBC Sports presenter, Mike Bushell. For the eighteenth series, she became part of the show's first same-sex couple, with professional boxer Nicola Adams.[2] The couple withdrew from the competition on 12 November, after Jones tested positive for COVID-19. She was partnered with Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty for the nineteenth series.
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Joe McFadden | 35 | Mike Bushell | 14 |
| Argentine Tango | Joe McFadden | 35 | Adam Peaty | 32 |
| Cha-Cha-Cha | Adam Peaty | 30 | Mike Bushell | 18 |
| Charleston | Joe McFadden | 40 | Ed Balls | 23 |
| Couple's Choice | Nicola Adams | 32 | ||
| Foxtrot | Joe McFadden | 32 | ||
| Jive | Joe McFadden | 29 | Seann Walsh | 15 |
| Paso Doble | Joe McFadden | 35 | Ed Balls | 16 |
| Quickstep | Joe McFadden | 38 | Adam Peaty | 19 |
| Rumba | Joe McFadden | 33 | Adam Peaty | 20 |
| Salsa | Joe McFadden | 34 | Ed Balls | 25 |
| Samba | Joe McFadden | 37 | Mike Bushell | 21 |
| Showdance | Joe McFadden | 39 | ||
| Something-athon | Joe McFadden | 6 | Ed Balls | 1 |
| Tango | Mike Bushell | 26 | Seann Walsh | 18 |
| Viennese Waltz | Joe McFadden | 39 | Seann Walsh | 20 |
| Waltz | Ed Balls | 21 |
| Series | Partner | Place | Average score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Ed Balls | 6th | 22.6 |
| 15 | Joe McFadden | 1st | 33.8 |
| 16 | Seann Walsh | 11th | 22.5 |
| 17 | Mike Bushell | 8th | 23.5 |
| 18 | Nicola Adams | 10th | 28.3 |
| 19 | Adam Peaty | 9th | 26.6 |
Performances with Ed Balls
She partnered politician Ed Balls for the fourteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "Are You Lonesome Tonight" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 21 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Charleston / "The Banjo's Back in Town" | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 23 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Cuban Pete" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Holding Out for a Hero" | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | Safe |
| 5 | American Smooth / "Is This the Way to Amarillo" | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 18 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Love Potion No. 9" | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 26 | Safe |
| 7 | Quickstep / "Help!" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 8 | Salsa / "Gangnam Style" | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 25 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Great Balls of Fire" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 10 | Tango / "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Cha-cha-cha Challenge / "I Like It Like That" |
4 Awarded |
6 1 |
7 extra |
6 point |
23 24 |
Eliminated |
- Red number indicates Ed & Katya were at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Performances with Joe McFadden
She partnered Scottish actor Joe McFadden for the fifteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Rockin' Robin" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "Castle on the Hill" | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Viennese Waltz / "Somewhere My Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-cha-cha / "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Paso Doble / "Diablo Rojo" | 7 | 9 | 10 | N/A | 26 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot / "Trouble" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 7 | Charleston / "Alexander's Ragtime Band" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 8 | Rumba / "One" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 9 | Salsa / "Ride on Time" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 10 | Quickstep / "Jumpin' Jack" Paso Doble-a-thon / "España cañí" |
9 Awarded |
9 6 |
10 extra |
10 points |
38 44 |
Safe |
| 11 | Samba / "Money" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 12 | American Smooth / "Have You Met Miss Jones?" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| Argentine Tango / "Human" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | ||
| 13 | Viennese Waltz / "Somewhere My Love" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Winners |
| Showdance / "You Make My Dreams" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | ||
| Charleston / "Alexander's Ragtime Band" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | ||
- Green number indicates Joe & Katya were at the top of the leaderboard.
Performances with Seann Walsh
She partnered comedian and actor Seann Walsh for the sixteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "SexyBack" | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 18 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "I'm Still Standing" | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "The Matrix (Theme)" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston / "Bills" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "Lightning Bolt" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7A | 24 | Bottom Two |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "I Put a Spell on You" | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 20 | Eliminated |
- Red number indicates Seann & Katya were at the bottom of the leaderboard.
- ^A Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tonioli
Performances with Mike Bushell
She partnered television presenter Mike Bushell for the seventeenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Do You Love Me" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | No Elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "Rhinestone Cowboy" | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "It's Raining Men" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep / "Come On Eileen" | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Apache (Jump on It)" | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7A | 21 | Bottom Two |
| 6 | Tango / "What You Waiting For? | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Bottom Two |
| 7 | Charleston / "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Bottom Two |
| 8 | Paso Doble / "Tamacun" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 25 | Eliminated |
- Red number indicates Mike & Katya were at the bottom of the leaderboard.
- ^A Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tonioli
Performances with Nicola Adams
She partnered boxer Nicola Adams for the eighteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing. The couple had to leave the competition after week 3 after Katya tested positive for COVID-19.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Ballas | Mabuse | ||||
| 1 | Quickstep / "Get Happy" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Street / "Shine" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Grease Lightning" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | Bottom Two |
| 4 | American Smooth / "Stand By Me" | - | - | - | - | Withdrew |
Performances with Adam Peaty
From September 2021 Jones was a contestant on the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty.The couple reached week 7, coming 9th.[7][8]
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Beggin'" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 | Safe |
| 3 | Rhumba / "I See You" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 4 | Argentine Tango / "Tango in the Night" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Faith" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Moonlight Sonata" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Bottom two |
| 7 | Jive / "Little Bitty Pretty One" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Eliminated |
Tour
Katya took part in the national Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour in 2017.[9]
In 2021 it was announced Katya would be appearing with Neil Jones at Donahey's Dancing with The Stars Weekends in 2022.[10]
Other TV Appearances
In 2021, Katya appeared on CBBC’s Saturday Mash Up where she was ‘super slimed’, getting covered in 20 buckets of gunge after being voted by the viewers. In March 2022, Katya appeared on the show again and was gunged for a second time, in what was described as one of the biggest super slimes ever.
Stage performances
Jones starred in dance show Somnium: A Dancer's Dream,[11] directed and choreographed by Neil Jones. The show was performed from 20–22 June 2019 at Sadler's Wells Theatre.
Personal life
Jones married her boyfriend of five years, Neil Jones, a dancer and fellow cast member of Strictly Come Dancing, on 3 August 2013.[12] In October 2018 a video and photos of Jones kissing her celebrity Strictly partner Seann Walsh were published.[13] On 18 August 2019 Jones and her husband announced that they had separated.[14]
References
- "BBC One - Strictly Com Dancing - Katya Jones". BBC. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- "Katya Jones & Neil Jones - BBC Strictly Come Dancing Pro Dancers - Donaheys 5* Weekend Breaks". www.donaheys.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- "2016 Strictly Professional Dancer line up revealed!". 28 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- Katya Jones: the 'fierce' ambition behind Team Glitterballs The Guardian, 18 November 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- "Strictly Come Dancing celebrities at red carpet launch". BBC News. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- Westbrook, Caroline (16 December 2017). "The Strictly Come Dancing 2017 winner has been crowned". Metro. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing - Adam Peaty". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing, Series 19, Week 7 Results". BBC. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- Laws, Roz (19 January 2017). "First look at Strictly tour and what they're dancing". birminghammail. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "4* Weekend Break featuring the stars of BBC Strictly Come Dancing". www.donaheys.co.uk. December 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- Avenue, Sadler's Wells Rosebery; London; EC1R. "Somnium: A Dancer's Dream - Sadler's Wells Theatre". www.sadlerswells.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- Davies, Alex (12 September 2016). "Katya Jones and Neil Jones relationship: Strictly dancers discuss baby plans". OK!. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- "Ex-girlfriend of Strictly Come Dancing star Seann Walsh says she is 'no victim'". Sky News. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "Strictly Come Dancing's Neil and Katya Jones announce split". BBC. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
External links
- Katya Jones at IMDb