Katya Jones, the longest-serving female professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, has revealed she would quit her current role — but only if she were offered a seat on the judging panel. The 37-year-old Russian dancer, who joined the BBC show in 2016 and won the Glitterball trophy in 2017 with actor Joe McFadden, told the Express at the TRIC Awards: "Why not? Of course I would!" when asked about becoming a judge.
Katya's Judging Experience
Jones has already taken on a judging role on Dancing with the Stars Belgium in 2025. She said: "I've done judging in other countries and it felt very natural for me to do that. I would definitely be eyeing up that seat, whichever one it is!" This mirrors the path of Anton Du Beke, who was a professional dancer on Strictly for 18 years before becoming a judge in 2021.
Presenter Shake-Up
The Strictly judging panel will remain unchanged this year, but the presenting lineup has been overhauled following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The new presenters are Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe — marking the first time the show will feature a permanent three-person presenting team. Reflecting on the changes, Katya said: "You can't replace someone, you have to bring someone with their own flavour and that's what they've done." She praised the trio, adding: "Emma is top of her game. I heard that their chemistry together is really good. It's so nice to see somebody from our side, as a professional dancer, grow into another role. It gives us hope and doesn't pigeon hole us as just being professional dancers."
Professional Lineup Changes
The BBC recently confirmed the professional dancers returning for the upcoming series. However, long-serving professionals Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas will not be returning. Katya took to Instagram to address the news, writing: "See you in September. Back on @bbcstrictly. To give all of you a reason to smile, bring families together, to offer something joyful to carry us through the winter. Shall we dance?" Fans responded positively, with one commenting: "The best choreography in my humble opinion," and another saying: "I'm so pleased you get to continue showing us all your extraordinary dance skills and flair!" A third fan wrote: "Yessss Katya!!!!! Can’t wait to see you back!"
