04 December 2023 , 17:30
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As Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones bows out of this year's season following celebrity partner Nigel Harman's painful rib injury, we take a closer look at her complicated love life away from the ballroom, including a recent sad split from her footballer beau.
The professional dancer and choreographer has weathered many storms when it comes to affairs of the heart, with her volatile love life attracting just as much attention as her sparkling routines. Despite having dealt with various ups and downs, however, the 34-year-old hasn't given up on love, and it's understood her 'husband hunt' is still very much on.
Katya was once at the centre of one of Strictly's most scandalous moments (BBC)Divorce and hunt for new hubby
In 2018, Russian-born Katya found herself at the centre of one of Strictly's most scandalous moments, after she and dance partner Seann Walsh were spotted kissing each other outside a pub. Both Katya and Seann were already in relationships at the time, and the drama that ensued was widely attributed to the so-called 'Strictly curse'.
One year after the controversial kiss, Katya and her husband Neil Jones announced they were filing for divorce after six years of marriage. Neil has previously clarified that their split had 'nothing to do' with the kissing scandal. Opening up with The Sun in 2020, Neil shared: "We found that we'd grown apart like people do, so we were like, 'OK, let's go our separate ways'. We are lucky that we don't have kids. It had nothing to do with what happened [with Seann]. We were moving in different directions but we are friends again now. Katya is a great girl and I've got nothing bad to say about her."
Earlier this year, Katya confessed she and a pal were planning a "husband hunting holiday", with the hope of tracking down "the one". Admitting she wasn't too keen on modern dating apps. Katya told The Sun: "We will be definitely going on a husband-hunting trip very soon. I mean we're constantly husband-hunting. Modern dating is very complicated, I don't always understand men's thinking, but I'd like to think I'm a good judge of character."
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During an interview with the Daily Express back in August, Katya was asked for updates on how her husband hunt was going. She responded: "It's going! It's still going! It's still on." Her good friend, the Olympian snowboarder Aimee Fuller, chimed in: "The hunt is on. There are lots of good events in the next few weeks so we will be out, living. That's what it's all about. Good conversation and meeting people is everything."
Katya and Neil announced their divorce in 2019 (SplashNews.com)
She's now on the hunt for a new hubby (WireImage)Recent split and single life
Back in October, it was reported that Katya had split from footballer-turned-property mogul William Abbotts, in a bid to put all her focus into winning this year's glitterball trophy. A source told The Sun: "The union ran its course. Katya is single and focusing on the dance competition. She knows she has a strong chance of making it to the final this year. She doesn't want any distractions."
It's believed Katya and William, 26, dated briefly over the summer months, enjoying a number of dates out and about in Cheshire, where the former youth international footballer is based.