Neil Jones on Katya’s Strictly kiss: I accept people make mistakes

Katya Jones has addressed her illicit kiss with Strictly Come Dancing partner Seann Walsh, saying her “first thought” over the controversy was for her husband.

The Strictly pro – who is married to dancer Neil Jones – was snapped kissing comedian and celebrity dance partner Walsh – on the street during the last series of the BBC One show.

Katya, 29, told Hello! magazine that she sees everything as a “learning process” but the fallout was “horrible”.

And husband Neil, 36, added: “I can accept people make mistakes.

“My mum always said, ‘People make mistakes in their lives. Don’t react, try to understand’. So that is how it always is for me.”

Katya told the magazine: “We knew we just had to sort it out ourselves. It was quite shocking to be suddenly so exposed and everyone has an opinion on it but we just wanted to focus on us.

“My first thought was for Neil.”

She added: “I look at everything as a massive learning process. But actually drop by drop, people typing horrible and unkind things about you, does affect you.

“The hate I felt made me very sad. Neil told me, ‘Stop reading, stop looking’. I knew I had to focus on what I do best, my dancing, my choreography, my job to the best of my ability.”

The couple have both been confirmed for the next series of Strictly and Katya is hoping that Neil will be given a celebrity partner for the first time.

“I feel Neil could partner any character, any age, any ability. He would come up with something so creative,” she said.

They will be walking down the aisle again – this time in their new stage show based on their lives.

“I even get to wear the same dress again, the one I wore on the evening of our wedding,” Katya said.

The full interview is in Hello!, out now.