Neil Jones might have been benched again this series, but he’s still getting his moments to shine.
With him and fiancée Chyna Mills recently celebrating daughter Havana’s second birthday, it’s clear that family is everything to the professional dancer.
However, he’s faced some tough times with his family in the past. Namely, the death of his uncle at the peak of the pandemic.
Neil Jones shared a heartbreaking tribute
To make matters worse, social distancing rules made it so Neil was unable to attend his uncle’s funeral.
“Today is my uncle’s funeral, but the sad fact is we can’t even say goodbye,” he said at the time in an emotional X post.
“RIP Johnny and my thoughts are with my family. Thank you to everyone who stood out in his street just to pay their respects.”
He accompanied this with an Instagram Story.
Alongside a picture of his uncle, Neil wrote: “It’s sad today that we can’t even say goodbye. You will always be in our thoughts. RIP Johnny. ”
Fans flocked to support him
At the time, fans responded to Neil’s post with support and compassion. “Sending so much love,” one wrote.
“Sending you prayers and love to all of your loved ones,” another said.
A third added: “So sorry the family wasn’t able to get together, Neil.”
Among these messages of support were also people who had identical experiences.
“I know how you feel,” a fourth X post read. “It was my uncle’s funeral on Friday. It’s hard knowing that you can’t be there to say your last goodbye. I lit a candle and remembered the good times and said my goodbye that way.”
While a fifth penned: “Same here. My uncle’s is today, and it’s awful being sat at home wishing u could be there to say goodbye, just awful.”
Why hasn’t Neil got a partner this year?
In more recent news, Strictly fans were outraged when Neil once again wasn’t allocated a partner.
Despite being part of the show since 2016, he has only been in three Strictly couples. He was paired with Alex Scott in 2019, Nina Wadia in 2021, and singer Toyah Wilcox in 2024. He hasn’t yet won the show.
According to former Strictly pro Vincent Simone, there’s a reason behind this selectivity.
“It’s nice to mix and match every year, which keeps the professionals on their toes,” he said. “It’s a good thing because sometimes, professionals can get cocky about the show and become big-headed. It keeps them on their toes.”
Read More: Heartbreak for Neil Jones fans as Strictly pro benched again: ‘Totally gutted’
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