24 November 2023 , 12:00
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Strictly Come Dancing stars Katya Jones and Nigel Harman looked caught up in the moment as they got cosy during a recent training session.
The former EastEnders actor, 50, was snapped tenderly planting a kiss on his professional dance partner's cheek earlier this week, as the duo finished rehearsing in London ahead of another live show this weekend. Nigel, best known for playing Dennis Rickman on the BBC soap, and Katya were seen with their arms tightly wrapped around each other as they shared a series of embraces.
The duo then appeared to be in good spirits as they left the studio together with big smiles on their faces following their intimate run-through. The training session follows a tough few weeks for Katya in her personal life, with the professional dancer splitting from her footballer boyfriend in October in order to focus on this year's series of Strictly.
Nigel - who is married to Hollywood actress Lucy Leimann - and Katya will be performing a Rumba to It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion on Strictly tomorrow night. The appear to be preparing to give viewers a steamy performance based on their recent training session, with the two stars get up close and personal with each other and cuddling as they practised their dance moves.
Nigel Harman and Katya Jones have been training hard ahead of this weekend's performance (SplashNews.com)
The actor's family often watch his training sessions (SplashNews.com)Katya and Nigel impressed viewers once again last weekend with another great performance, but some mistakes in the routine led to some lower scores for the pair, and critique from the judges. Although Nigel received a 31, he seemed disappointed as the judges pointed out a few flaws with quickstep to It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing by Duke Ellington.
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Chatting on It Takes Two on Wednesday night, Nigel admitted to host Fleur East that he was upset over the mistakes he had made, given how hard he and Katya had worked on the routine. He insisted he did have a good time during the Blackpool special, despite fans believing he was upset.
The former soap star said: "It is so brilliant the Blackpool floor, it's such a gift. It's so big and bouncy and the crowd were so present and with you. I loved every second of it. I actually think it was the best I've danced on the show, and then I made some mistakes, but putting that aside it was the most I have enjoyed it. I had such a good time which is why when I made the mistake, afterwards it was so disappointing because you have done all that work and it was so good."
Fans of the BBC series think the two stars have great chemistry (SplashNews.com)
The Strictly stars will be treating viewers to a steamy dance on Saturday (SplashNews.com)Nigel isn't the only famous thespian in his family, as he has been married to Hollywood actress Lucy Leimann since 2011. Lucy has an impressive acting career, including a role in The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. Despite their high-profile careers, the couple met in a very ordinary way - at work. They are believed to have first crossed paths on the set of BBC TV series Hotel Babylon in 2009.
Lucy, who has starred in The Bill, The IT Crowd, Midsomer Murders and more, married her partner just two years after they met in 2011. They welcomed their daughter just a year after tying the knot, and even though she's too young to attend Nigel's Strictly performances in person, she's always cheering him on from home.
Nigel with his actress wife Lucy Liemann (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Nigel and Katya have been a hit with both Strictly viewers and judges (SplashNews.com)Chatting about her dance partner's daughter watching him on TV, Katya recently exclaimed: "Her little face - she was so proud! That's all that matters, isn't it, at the end of the day." And Nigel's wife Lucy is right there with her, supporting him every step of the way. Lucy and their daughter have even been to watch Nigel train with Katya for his performances on Strictly Come Dancing. "It was really lovely," he told Radio Times.
Katya is giving her all to this year's series of Strictly - even reportedly splitting from her footballer boyfriend last month in order to fully focus on the show. The dancer is said to have ended her romance with property mogul and ex-footballer William Abbotts, with a source claiming "the union ran its course".
Nigel and Katya are in with a good chance of lifting the Glitterball trophy next month but their strong performances and intense chemistry could actually harm their chances of making it to the final. Speaking last month, a PR expert warned the pair performing too well on the live shows could see viewers vote to save other couples.
Katya was all smiles as she left the London studio (SplashNews.com)
As was Nigel (SplashNews.com)On behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton said in October: "Nigel and Katya's connection has been strong from day one. Nigel does like to keep things close to his chest, but I can definitely tell they have a reciprocal liking on and off the dance floor. The level of intensity between Nigel and Katya is huge. Just from looking at subtle giveaways with prolonged eye gazes and comforting here and there."
Following Darren's take, PR expert Dom Aldworth told the Daily Star: "Talk of Nigel and Katya’s chemistry sparked amongst Strictly fans after their Paso Doble in the opening week. The pair then added fuel to the fire after Nigel kissed Katya on the cheek following their Viennese Waltz in week two. This compatibility as a dancing partnership means they should feel hopeful about their chances of success in the competition."
He went on to warn: "While Strictly is a dancing competition, fans are heavily invested in the couples off the dance floor too, meaning Katya and Nigel will need to monitor public opinion. So while Katya and Nigel’s on-floor chemistry may help them score well with the judges, not getting caught up in this connection off the floor will be key to their long-term success in the competition."
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Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back for another weekend of fantastic ballroom dancing on Saturday, and the celebrities and their professional dance partners take to the dancefloor to do everything they can to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
In addition to Nigel and Katya performing a Rumba to It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion tomorrow night, Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu will Cha-cha-cha their way through Gloria Gaynor's hit I Will Survive, while Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin will dance the American Smooth to It's Oh So Quiet by Björk.
Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe will be hoping to impress voters as they do a Paso Doble to 'España Cañi' as EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell dance to This Woman's Work by Maxwell as their Couple's Choice. Rumoured couple Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola will perform an Argentine Tango to Destiny's Child's iconic anthem Bills, Bills, Bills.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.