Strictly Come Dancing fans have hailed professional dancer Katya Jones as the 'queen' of the BBC One show after she and her celebrity partner John Nellis topped the first leaderboard of the 2026 series.
Katya and John performed a foxtrot to Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' during the first live show of the year on Saturday night, September 26, scoring 31 points out of a possible 40. Judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas praised the routine as "the best dance of the night", while Craig Revel Horwood described it as "classy, elegant and graceful".
First Live Show of the Series
The show marked the first time Strictly went live this year, with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe at the helm. All 15 new celebrities and their professional partners took to the dance floor to perform a full routine in front of the judges for the first time.
Following the show, John shared a post on Instagram, writing: "Last night was definitely out of the ordinary. Can't thank you all enough for being so kind @bbcstrictly #strictly #scd #strictlycomedancing." Katya replied: "So proud of you partner."
Fans Praise Katya's Choreography
While fans were quick to praise John for his performance, many also showered Katya with compliments after she became the show's longest-running professional. @siobhanlinehan1 wrote: "SO MUCH ACTUAL BALLROOM CONTENT!! THANK YOU KATYA!! She continues to be the best choreographer and teacher on this show in my opinion!!"
@lewisxcopefan added: "Katya take a bow. The most incredible choreographer, you are the best. That was just so so beautiful. Katya ALWAYS makes the dance work for her partner every single time, and that is a talent in itself. And John you were AMAZING, worked so hard. So proud."
Other fans echoed the sentiment, with @zarahigney commenting "Only Katya could do this," @pickle_lilly19 writing "Katya is the queen when it comes to getting the best out of her partner's. Beautiful," and @bstark230 adding "Katya strikes once again, she's literally the best professional."
Katya's Pre-Show Plea
The praise came after Katya shared a plea ahead of the first live show. In a video posted to her Instagram Story during rehearsals, she said: "... I'm smiling because I'm so, so happy with our dance. I'm looking forward to your reactions. Please be nice, please be encouraging, because honestly, he's worked so hard. And I think it's nothing what you expected it to be and it's beautiful. I love it. Can't wait for you to see it. It's going to be a great show..."
