Katya Jones' net worth and secret life as millionaire's daughter as she's rumoured for Strictly axe

Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones has been named among those possibly facing the axe from the BBC show after claims producers want a 'fresh start' following a controversial year

Strictly's Katya Jones could face the axe amid new plans to shake up the current stars following a rough year for the BBC show. The 35-year-old professional dancer and choreographer has impressed judges and audiences alike with her footwork since joining the BBC line-up in 2016.

She was previously partnered with politician Ed Balls and comedian Seann Walsh, and is now paired with Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans for the 2024 series. But this could be her last season, with a show source allegedly confirming a shake-up with the professionals is looming.

Nadiya Bychkova, Neil Jones, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez and Katya Jones are the five names that will reportedly have to call it quits and hang up their dancing shoes. But away from the show, just how much do you know about the life of the professional dancer?

Katya was born in the town of Sestroretsk near St Petersburg in Russia and began dancing and gymnastics training from a young age. The dancer also has a close bond with her family, including her millionaire father.

Andrey Sokolov is a senior oil company executive, while her mother, Tatiana Kim, is a graduate from the Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Tatiana is Korean, and her ancestors originate from Sakhalin, a Pacific island.

Her parents often visit the UK to spend time with Katya. Andrey and Tatiana have been together for 40 years, with Tatiana posting a loving tribute to her husband in 2019 on their 35th anniversary.

Translated from Russian, she wrote: "For 35 years ago in the funny registry office of Sestroretsk we became husband and wife. Despite many circumstances, intrigues and even ridicule.

"A girl from a serious Korean clan who did not approve of marriages outside the nationality, and a promising blue-eyed guy from a family of Soviet doctors, we made a promise to be there in grief and joy. We loved each other and what we created. Against the backdrop of the collapse of the country, we silently maintained our family world, like all our friends, who are now happy in their families… Just sharing my happiness with everyone."

Katya previously admitted that her mother thinks she'll move back home eventually. Chatting to the Mirror, she said: "My family is really close so it is hard for me. My Mum says she still cannot get used to this feeling that I am here. She still thinks one day I will come back home."

Katya Jones' net worth remains somewhat a mystery, but some sources suggest it could be as high as £3.8million. Seann Walsh's career was left in tatters when he appeared on Strictly back in 2018, thanks to being caught on camera kissing his professional partner Katya, who was married to fellow pro Neil Jones at the time. Seann was also in a long-term relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries, who he lived with at the time.

The pair were caught kissing outside the Duke of York in Marylebone in October 2018. His partner Rebecca revealed that she had long suspected something was going on between the comic and his married partner, and claimed that he'd branded her "nuts" when she raised her concerns with him.

In 2019, a year on from the infamous kiss scandal, Katya and Neil Jones called time on their six-year marriage. Despite speculation, Neil has clarified that the Seann Walsh smooch wasn't the catalyst for their split. Chatting to The Sun in 2020, Neil revealed: "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."

Discussing the possibility of dancers being axed, the insider told The Sun: "The review of the line-up has always been about making a fresh start, and that was always going to be affected by which dancers performed well this series. The feeling is that the Strictly troupe is made up of some fading stars, while others are rising stars. And in many cases there are certain characters whose shoes can easily be filled with younger, up-and-coming counterparts.

"It’s harsh but it’s just part of the traditional turnover of showbusiness. Of the five names in the mix almost all of them went out in the first half of the series, which is very much seen as a landmark point for Strictly.

"It couldn’t have come at a worse time for them, because Strictly bosses feel they need to make some major changes, even if that means big names leaving."