Strictly Come Dancing professional Neil has been part of the show for nearly a decade
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Neil Jones, a Strictly Come Dancing pro, has received an outpouring of support from fellow cast members as he excitedly shares news with his fans. Taking to social media, the dancer expressed his delight with the announcement saying 'the news is out'.
Neil will be gracing the dance floor once again before the show's next season begins. But fans won't need to wait that long to see him.
The BBC has greenlit Neil Jones for another turn on the dance floor, as they revealed the professional dancers returning for Strictly's 23rd series, launching in autumn 2025.
Joining Neil in the much-anticipated return to BBC One's hit dance competition this year are several familiar faces including Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, and Nikita Kuzmin.
Other returning stars such as Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola will light up the stage. To add to the excitement, two new professional dancers will be introduced as the series kick-off approaches.
In response to this month's announcement, Neil shared his gratitude on Instagram: "I can't believe it's going to be a decade that I have been a pro on @bbcstrictly so to everyone that supports me and the show, thank you and I can't wait to continue entertaining the nation."
Addressing both fans and critics, he added: "To the rest, come on it's about time you switch from being a hater to actually enjoying life and give me some love but if not no worries because I will continue with the good vibes and energy and being part of the show I love the most plus spreading my love and knowledge of dance that I have collected over the past 4 decades and over 45 titles worldwide."
![Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones]()
Neil has previously been paired with stars including Toyah Willcox (Image: BBC/Guy Levy) Before Neil makes his anticipated return to television, he's got some dancing lessons up his sleeve for those keen to learn a step or two from the star himself. Taking to Instagram, Neil dazzled followers with an exciting video featuring world champion dancer Craig Shaw.
He announced: "The news is out @prepdance on tour is coming to a city near you. 3 incredible dance workshops with two World champions @mr_craigshaw and @mr_njonesofficial and a special Strictly guest. You can book now online via the link in my Profile."
Neil went on to reveal the first set of workshop dates, "Below are our first 4 dates and we are excited to have @kaiwidd joining us so book now because places are limited. 20th May Swansea. 10th June Dublin. 11th June Belfast. 14th June Glasgow."
The workshop announcement was met with enthusiasm from his Strictly colleagues; Carlos Gu exclaimed “Woohoooo!”, while Karen Hauer sent her support with clapping emojis and cheered: "yesssss."
The announcement generated buzz among fans and followers, who expressed their excitement. One shared: "Amazing! best of luck with it!!!!", while another chimed in with, "How exciting, can't wait for Birmingham."
One fan added: "Love is!!!!", while another simply said the news was "Brilliant".
