Katya Jones has broken her silence about returning to Strictly Come Dancing later this year after many of her co-stars were axed from the hit BBC competition series. The 36-year-old TV star, who has been a professional dancer on the Saturday night favourite since 2016, will be back in the ballroom for her tenth year when the new series kicks off in September.
The BBC recently confirmed the line-up of professionals, which came after it was revealed that long-serving professionals Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas would not be returning. Katya took to Instagram to speak out on the news, writing: "See you in September. Back on @bbcstrictly. To give all of you a reason to smile, bring families together, to offer something joyful to carry us through the winter. Shall we dance?"
Fans were quick to respond positively, with one writing: "The best choreography in my humble opinion," whilst another said: "I'm so pleased you get to continue showing us all your extraordinary dance skills and flair!" A third wrote: "Yessss Katya!!!!! Can't wait to see you back!" A fourth said: "You truly do bring people so much joy Katya! I'm so excited to support you!! Proud of you always."
Former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope, who danced with Katya last year and narrowly missed out on a place in the final after being defeated in the dance-off by Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, also showed his support with a string of hand-clapping emojis.
Returning professionals alongside Katya include new mum Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Vito Coppola. Additionally, brand new professional dancers will join the line-up in 2026, with the BBC stating they will be confirmed closer to the show's return as the 24th series airs in September.
The judging panel remains unchanged, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas returning to cast a watchful eye over performances each week. Themed weeks such as Movies, Icons, Halloween and Musicals will also return, along with the Instant Dance challenge following its high-energy debut in 2025. The annual visit to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom will remain a highlight of the series.
