John Nellis has shared some very happy family news on Strictly Come Dancing, revealing that his wife Shannon McMahon is pregnant with their second child.
The 33-year-old YouTuber opened up about missing home while preparing for his Titanic-themed Couple’s Choice with Katya Jones, before announcing that their baby is due in February.
He admitted that being away from his family has been one of the toughest parts of taking part in the BBC show, with his emotional confession coming ahead of a major dance challenge.
John Nellis opens up about his growing family
John opened up about how difficult it has been being separated from his family for long stretches while competing on Strictly.
The content creator said he has been missing Shannon and his stepson before sharing the exciting news that their family is set to grow again.
“And our family’s growing. We’re having another baby in February. I want a big family.”
John went on to reveal that he is looking forward to the kind of family celebrations he remembers from growing up.
“I want big Christmases and big parties like I grew up with more than you can imagine.”
His comments showed just how much his family means to him while he takes on the demands of Strictly. John and Shannon tied the knot last year at Ballyness Resort in Dungiven, Northern Ireland.
John is already a stepfather and spoke fondly about missing his wife and son while away competing. The pregnancy gives the couple another major family milestone to look forward to following their wedding.
John Nellis and Katya Jones take on Couple’s Choice
John and Katya then took on the series’ first Couple’s Choice, following his impressive opening performance which saw him top the leaderboard.
The pair performed to An Irish Party in Third Class from Titanic, with the movie-themed routine receiving mixed feedback from the judges.
Shirley Ballas said she “totally enjoyed the dance”, while Anton Du Beke told John he needed to be less hesitant when tackling the lifts.
Craig was less impressed, criticising John’s heavy footwork and giving him four points. The routine finished with 23 points overall, with Shirley and Anton both awarding sevens.
Combined with their opening score of 31, the pair now have 54 points. That puts them fourth on the leaderboard, five points behind Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington.
Who is Strictly contestant John Nellis?
John is a football content creator with more than 20 million followers across his social media platforms, with his videos racking up billions of views.
His content has featured some of football’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Before finding fame online, John worked as an air traffic controller before eventually making content creation his full-time career. He is from Newcastle in County Down and has since travelled around the world through his work.
He was named Sport Creator of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Awards UK and Ireland, while a recent collaboration with Erling Haaland picked up more than 60 million views across social media.
Now, however, John faces a very different challenge on Strictly, swapping his football-focused content for ballroom technique and live performances.
Strictly continues tonight (Sunday, October 4) from 7.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
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