15 April 2024 , 18:00
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Katya Jones is a Strictly favourite but was said to be jealous over the attention another dancer was getting.
The Russian dancer, 34, is one of the Strictly Come Dancing stars featured in a special broadcast of DIY SOS as presenter Nick Knowles and his team set about transforming a performing arts school in Wallsend, North Tyneside.
The 34 year old is joined on tonight's show by fellow pro dancers Nancy Xu, Graziano Di Prima and Luba Mushtuck, but she was once said to be embroiled in a behind-the-scenes ‘feud’ with another of the glamorous pros.
During a live arena tour in 2022, Katya was said to be annoyed at the attention Nadiya Bychkova was getting after she went official with her romance with another dancing pro, Kai Widdrington.
Ukrainian Nadiya grew close to Kai after she split from the father of her daughter, Slovenian football player Matija Skarabot, who lives abroad. All eyes were on the new lovebirds with people fascinated by the beautiful pairing but this was said to have caused friction with Katya.
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A source told The Sun : "Katya is used to being the one everyone is talking about on the show and has been struggling a bit this year. Nadiya has become the hot topic this tour, leaving Katya telling pals she is a bit jealous."
Neil and Katya split after she was spotted kissing Seann Walsh (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Kai and Nadiya are still going strong (Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty I)Katya was infamously embroiled in a cheating scandal when she was pictured kissing her then-Strictly partner Seann Walsh on a night out while married to fellow Strictly pro Neil Jones.
Last year Katya started dating property mogul and ex-footballer William Abbotts but the couple split amid rumours that she wanted to focus on the latest Strictly series, which saw her paired with Casualty actor Nigel Harman.
Meanwhile Nadiya and Kai are now in a long-term committed relationship and embarked on their first dance show together last year, Once Upon a Time. They loved it so much that they're touring the UK with another this summer. Behind the Magic promises to give fans "a glimpse into the real-life couple's fairytale romance".
Katya with Charis who features in the DIY SOS special (BBC Studios)Kai told Hello magazine about the moment he fell for his co-star: "I just knew Nadiya was The One. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, but the real beauty is not just what you see on the outside – it's the person on the inside I fell in love with." He described her as the "kindest person" and the "most amazing mother".
In tonight's episode of DIY SOS, Katya is seen weeping as one guest dedicates a performance of a dance to her late father. The change of format sees presenter Nick and his decorators transfer their skills from the usual home makeover for those in need of a helping hand, to working on the school owned by charity True Colours. The organisation is aimed at supporting children and young adults of all abilities in their passion for dance and performing arts.
One attendee, Charis, 20, has Down's Syndrome and was happy to meet Katya as they held hands and showed off a dance move for the cameras. Charis then explained to Katya how her father had passed away just a few weeks before filming began and how she had tried to use her love of dancing to process her grief.
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