Strictly's Neil Jones: inside his dating life from dancer ex to Love Island fiancée
Since joining Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, Neil Jones has waltzed his way into our hearts, becoming a fan favourite on the iconic show. An unstoppable force, the professional dancer has performed several showstopping routines with partners Alex Scott and Nina Wadia over the years as well as being a part of the iconic group dances.
Want to get to know Neil a little better? Here at HELLO!, we take a closer look at his life away from the ballroom, starting with his dating history. Keep reading for all the details…
Chyna Mills
Neil Jones is currently engaged to Chyna Mills, with whom he shares a baby daughter, Havana. Following Chyna’s stint on Love Island, Neil slid into her DMs and they immediately hit it off. By August 2022, the pair made it official but kept the details of their dating life largely under wraps.
The duo were later spotted attending a number of public events together including the Guardians of the Galaxy experience in London and a romantic getaway to Paris.
After seven months of dating, in April 2023, Neil and Chyna confirmed to HELLO! that they were engaged, and were also expecting their first child together. At the time, Chyna was 13 weeks pregnant.
Opening up about his romantic proposal, Neil told HELLO! that he’d popped the question during a trip to Bali. "I'd already planned to ask Chyna to marry me before we knew she was pregnant. Then we found out and I was like: 'Oh, this is brilliant, everything is coming together.’''
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Neil had been secretly planning his holiday proposal during the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour. Speaking about the surprise proposal, Chyna explained: "At first, I thought he was joking because we play jokes on each other all the time. Then Neil was like: 'Chyna, so is it a "yes" or "no"?' because a few minutes had passed and he was still on one knee. I was like: 'Yeah!'"
To the delight of fans, in October 2023, Neil and Chyna then revealed that they had welcomed their bouncing baby girl. Adorably, the couple shared the news with HELLO!, with the Strictly Come Dancing star saying: "Mum and baby are doing really well, she's everything we hoped for and more."
Speaking to HELLO! at the Pride of Britain Awards, and when asked how fatherhood has been treating him, the dancer responded: "Brilliant, just brilliant. I'm just smiling all the time, I can't stop it."
Luisa Eusse
Neil and Colombian dancer Luisa Esse met in the summer of 2020 and enjoyed a whirlwind romance that lasted until December of that year. During an interview with HELLO! at the time, the professional dancer recalled that they had moved in together after just two weeks, a decision which was perhaps made too hastily.
Admitting their relationship had moved very fast, Neil said: "It wasn't the ideal way to form a relationship so quickly. Normally you'd have time to go on dates, meet up with each other and it would build over time. We were just going with the flow."
Katya Jones
Neil exchanged wedding vows with Strictly co-star Katya back in August 2013, and the pair were married for six years before announcing their separation on 18 August 2019.
At the time, they released a joint statement which read: "After 11 years, we have made the mutual decision to separate. We will always love each other, just in a different way as friends. This will never change what a great team we make and we are really proud of everything we have achieved together… No matter what we do we will always support and respect each other. We wish one another every happiness and remain the best of friends."
Following their split, Neil has confirmed that the pair are still in a very good place, telling HELLO!: "Katya and I are still really good friends. We've been dancing together for 11 years. She's supportive, I'm supportive to her. We're in a really good place."
Showing her support for Neil, Katya also reacted to the news of his engagement, and exciting baby news with fiancée Chyna. "So happy for these two! @mr_jonesofficial, you deserve all the happiness," she wrote on Instagram.
