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Katya Jones posts emotional Instagram tribute to Strictly co-stars amid 'axe' claims
30 April 2019, 09:53
The professional dancer speaks out for the first time since rumours of her fate on the talent show surfaced
Katya Jones has taken to social media to show appreciation for her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, days after rumours claimed she’d been axed from the show.
The Russian star paid tribute to the hit programme's glittering professional cast on International Dance Day as she told her 135,000 Instagram followers that even thinking about dance made her “emotional”.
The 29-year-old, who was reportedly dropped from Strictly’s main line-up over the weekend, wrote: “On the #internationaldanceday I genuinely never felt so in love with dance, it makes me emotional."
Gushing over her talented co-stars, including Karen Clifton, AJ Pritchard and Pasha Kovalev, she admitted the stage was the only place she could truly let herself go.
“I can’t wait to start this tour with this amazing cast who are first of all my friends, to share the stage with @pashakovalev for the last time as a Strictly pro, to share with you all our passion for dance.
“I feel that stage is the place where I can be fully myself. Thank you DANCE for always being here for me. #dance #tour #dance #iamadancer #strictlytour #ballroom #latin #monday.”
Her emotional outpouring follows allegations that BBC bosses have demoted the dancer from the main Strictly set due to the snog married Katya shared with comedian Seann Walsh last October.
Despite publicly apologising for their actions, sources say she is "being punished” for the romantic scandal that rocked the nation last year.
A source told The Sun: "Katya knows she is being punished for her actions and the scandal she caused.
“She feels BBC bosses are saying she can’t be trusted to act professionally with a celebrity.
"It is frustrating as she has put so much time and effort into the new series.
"But producers were adamant. While they let her stay in the cast they can’t condone her behaviour or all the drama she caused. No one is bigger than the show."
