Strictly Come Dancing’s Katya Jones recently enjoyed a weekend away in the Cotswolds with her former dance partner, Tony Adams. The pair took a series of photos during their time together, including of them sipping from a personalised mug with their faces on.
She captioned her post: “Weekend with My Cotswold family,” revealing that she had spent the time “dancing in the kitchen, shopping, singing, cooking and lots of hugs”. In an amusing twist, she updated fans about three pigs named after Strictly legends, informing them that “FYI – Kat the pig, Anton du Pig and Claudia Winklepig have grown a lot and are doing great!”
Her followers were delighted to see the strong bond she still shares with Tony, long after their stint on the hit BBC One show last year. One fan expressed their joy, writing: “I love it when you all stay in touch with past contestants, who become friends.”
Another fan gushed: “I love how many beautiful friendships come out of these Strictly pairings,” and another added: “Dance and lasting friendships – two beautiful gifts.”
Katya’s social media update also showed her bonding with Tony’s wife Poppy Teacher and three of his five children: Atticus, Hector and Iris. The football legend has two more children, Oliver and Amber, from his previous marriage to Jane Shea.
However, despite their blossoming friendship post-Strictly, Tony and Katya did experience turbulence during the show, culminating in a heated argument after a particularly challenging Salsa performance that left them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Katya didn’t hold back as she expressed her frustration at Tony’s errors during their routine to Pitbull’s I Know You Want Me.
Reflecting on the fiery exchange during an appearance on Good Morning Britain in November 2022, Tony conceded that Katya might have been “a little over critical” but insisted his main aim was “to have a good time”.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, the pair quashed any talk of bad blood, humorously claiming they “don’t like each other.”
Tony cheekily remarked: “We constantly argue, don’t we?” To which Katya quipped: “We just don’t like each other at all, we don’t get on!”
Tony continued his banter: “We’ve had two months together now. She’s been training me and the routines she’s putting on are incredible. And sometimes when I miss a step, sometimes she’s a little bit over critical and I just want to have a good time as well.”
He wrapped up by saying: “I think it’s a balance between maybe letting me make a mistake and enjoying myself a little bit at times… I’m not an expert in this field.”
Tony withdrew from the competition in Week Eight after sustaining an injury. In the most recent series, Katya was partnered with Casualty actor Nigel Harman.