Katya Jones reveals the non-negotiables she sticks to before signing up for another Strictly Come Dancing series
KATYA Jones let her fans in on the rules she makes for herself in order to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.
The pro dancer is about to celebrate her 10th year on BBC’s Strictly in and has made some non-negotiable rules that she swears by.
Katya took to her Instagram account with a montage of photos of herself on the reality TV dancing competition to mark her 10th anniversary.
She told fans she had “Strictly Confession” to make and that included the “quiet promises” she made to herself “to stay grounded.”
“The first came from my very first BBC briefing, where I learned something that’s stayed with me ever since: Strictly is an entertainment show with dance at its heart. I made it my mission never to lose sight of that simple truth,” Katya began.
Her second rule was to always be her “true, authentic self… because performing is one thing, but pretending to be someone you’re not is exhausting, and it doesn’t last.”
Katya added: “And third — perhaps most importantly — I told myself that the moment I stopped loving this job, would be the moment I walk away.
“This role demands passion, energy, and an all-in commitment. You simply can’t do it half-heartedly.”
Katya then concluded that when she checks in with herself to see if she still loves being on Strictly that the answer is always a “firm yes.”
“This year was no different. Nothing fulfils me quite like this ‘job’,” she wrote.
“It is a true privilege to be part of something that brings joy to so many. To help light up Saturday nights, to be part of a show that’s become such a cherished part of the nation’s heart — it means the world.”
She added: “Happy 10th anniversary, Strictly. I can confess – I am still totally head over heels for you.”
Katya recently broke her silence on what it was like to work with Welsh tenor, Wynne Evans.
Wynne was axed from this year’s Strictly tour after a backlash over an inappropriate joke.
“I can only obviously speak from my personal experience, but I thought Wynne was incredible,” Katya told The Sun.
“We spent a huge amount of time together and we had a brilliant partnership. We got on like a house on fire.
“Working with a professional musician was a different experience for me, it was sensational. It was like a creative union.
“He added his musicality, charisma and a passion for music.
“It was really cool and we got on so well, honestly.
“We just laughed and joked all the time.”
All your Strictly Come Dancing winners
Strictly first kicked off back in 2004, and over the years has crowned 21 winners.
Here is a full list of who has been lucky enough to win the famous Glitterball Trophy:
- 2004 – Natasha Kaplinsky
- 2004 – Jill Halfpenny
- 2005 – Darren Gough
- 2006 – Mark Ramprakash
- 2007 – Alesha Dixon
- 2008 – Tom Chambers
- 2009 – Chris Hollins
- 2010 – Kara Tointon
- 2011 – Harry Judd
- 2012 – Louis Smith
- 2013 – Abbey Clancy
- 2014 – Caroline Flack
- 2015 – Jay McGuiness
- 2016 – Ore Oduba
- 2017 – Joe McFadden
- 2018 – Stacey Dooley
- 2019 – Kelvin Fletcher
- 2020 – Bill Bailey
- 2021 – Rose Ayling-Ellis
- 2022 – Hamza Yassin
- 2023 – Ellie Leach
- 2024 – Chris McCausland