Strictly's Neil Jones is 'ready' if fiancée goes into labour during live shows

29 August 2023 , 14:08

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Chyna Mills and Neil Jones are preparing to become parents (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Neil Jones, the 40-year-old professional dancer famed for his moves on Strictly Come Dancing, has shared his excitement about becoming a father for the first time. The twist? The baby might make its grand entrance during a live show!

Entering his eighth series of the popular BBC competition, Neil announced in April he and Love Island's Chyna Mills, 24, were expecting their first child. In an intimate chat with OK!, he revealed he's all set if his fiancée goes into labour during Strictly – although he'll be urging her to "hold on as long as she can".

"Chyna is ready to pop – she's raring to go. We're not sure when it's going to happen but if it's during a live show, we're prepared for that. It would be ideal if it happened when I had some time off, but I'm buzzing with anticipation," he said.

The dancer, who is already an uncle to many nieces and nephews, expressed gratitude for having had ample time to prepare for everything. He also praised the supportive environment at Strictly. As for the sleepless nights that come with newborns? Jones isn't fazed. "People ask, 'Are you ready for sleep deprivation?' And I say, 'I'm a dancer, I'm used to it,'" he quipped. "Even after 10 hours of sleep, you'll still have dance routines playing in your head."

Neil said Chyna is 'ready to pop' (Neil Jones/Instagram)

Neil also noted that it's been a bumper year for Strictly babies, following the arrival of Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec's daughter Lyra, and Gorka Marquez's second child Thiago with Gemma Atkinson.

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He said: We've had so many new Strictly babies – both Janette Manrara and Gorka Márquez have just had babies. When they're older, we should do a competition with all the babies!"

As anticipation builds for the new series of Strictly, Neil joined his fellow professional hoofers Johannes Radebe, Carlos Gu, Kai Widdrington, and Vito Coppola in discussing the star-studded line-up set to grace the dance floor.

This year, 15 celebrities are ready to strut their stuff, including Family Fortunes host Les Dennis, Casualty's Nigel Harman, former tennis pro turned broadcaster Annabel Croft, EastEnders heartthrob Bobby Brazier, ex-Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, and Love Island sensation Zara McDermott.

Adding to the glittering array of talent, actor Adam Thomas, TV presenter Angela Scanlon, and Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy will also be joining the dance extravaganza.

* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Amy Denman