Strictly Come Dancing professional Neil Jones has addressed viewer accusations that he "groped" fellow dancer Amy Dowden during a live broadcast, responding with a four-word message.
The controversy arose last weekend after an on-camera moment in which Jones placed his hand on Dowden's waist while the professionals gathered upstairs following a performance by Vito and Lacey. Some viewers believed Dowden appeared to shift away and move towards fellow professional Alexis Warr, sparking speculation online.
Viewer reactions online
Social media users quickly shared their interpretations of the clip. One person posted on X: "Amy Dowden looks 'uncomfortable' as Neil Jones holds her waist in awkward Strictly clip." Another commented: "Awkward moments like this deserve a closer look. Hopefully, everyone involved is treated fairly and respectfully."
In response, Jones and Dowden posted a video on Instagram. Jones captioned the post with "#nocomment" and added the hashtag "friends for 20 years", apparently to signal that there is no tension between them.
Support from the Strictly family
The footage showed Dowden touching Jones's waist as she moved around him, and Jones then playfully shifted closer to Alexis, seemingly to make light of the speculation. The clip made clear the pair are close friends, and several members of the Strictly family expressed their support.
The post has been liked thousands of times and drawn considerable comment. One user remarked: "Well played." Another wrote: "Love this! Mic drop moment. That's how to deal with fabricated nonsense." A third responded: "And that's how you stop bad rumours." A fourth added: "Love it." One more noted: "Haha, was waiting for something like this. Well done."
Numerous fans backed the pair and sent their best wishes, demonstrating that what occurs behind the scenes is not always clear from a brief clip.
