Strictly Come Dancing professional Neil Jones has spoken about his split with wife and fellow Strictly star Katya for the first time.
Neil and Katya separated in August 2019, 10 months after Katya was photographed kissing her celebrity dance partner at the time Seann Walsh in October 2018.
Speaking to The Sun, Neil revealed that the kiss scandal wasn't actually a factor in their split, saying that the couple were "moving in different directions" and thought it best to end their marriage.
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"We found that we'd grown apart like people do, so we were like, 'OK, let's go our separate ways'," he explained. "We are lucky that we don't have kids. It had nothing to do with what happened [with Seann]. We were moving in different directions but we are friends again now. Katya is a great girl and I've got nothing bad to say about her."
Saying that he doesn't hold anything against Katya, he revealed that they "spoke about everything" at the time and that the situation with Seann has been dealt with.
"We're human, we all see things in completely different ways. We don't all react the same way," he said. "That's the thing with me. I'm in a good place and me and Katya get on really well now.
"For me it's something that happened in the past. We spoke about everything back then. We had a situation but everyone was supportive, so we got through it. Strictly was great to both of us when it happened and we're both in a good place now."
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Neil added that he had "never thought about quitting" the BBC dance show after the incident, saying that he and Katya "just got on and worked".
The couple have yet to begin divorce proceedings, with Neil saying that the process has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic but added that the pair are "not in any rush".
The dancer, who is supporting homeless charity Depaul UK, also spoke about the potential for Strictly to go ahead this autumn as planned, saying that he is confident that producers can make the show work despite social distancing restrictions.
"You can wear a mask on Strictly and I'm sure they'll make them look great," he said. "We sometimes wear a mask during training because it helps with our stamina. Dancing isn't all about touch. With my cha-cha I only touched Katya once. For most of it we were about two metres from each other."
Strictly Come Dancing is expected to return for an all-new series later this year on BBC One.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
