STRICTLY Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez has been ‘demoted’ in favour of newly-single Neil Jones.
Yesterday The Sun revealed how Neil, 37, and fellow pro Katya, 30, had split after six years of marriage.
But one thing that could cheer Neil up despite the split is the fact he's been promoted from a group dancer to the main line-up for the first time ever this year.
However, he steps into the limelight at the expense of show favourite Gorka Marquez, 28.
Neil got the nod over Gorka because the Spanish star is not tall enough for many of this year’s female celebrities. Gorka will now be one of the reserves.
Meanwhile producers had planned to relegate Katya to reserve dancer when the new series starts as punishment for the “Kissgate” scandal with Seann Walsh last year.
But they have now done a U-turn and will reinstate her into the main line-up with a celebrity partner.
Katya has been reprieved because show bookers signed up eight male celebrities instead of the planned seven, so they need an extra female dancer.
A show insider said: “Katya has got lucky. She was lined up for a back-up role following the controversy of the last series and accepted she would just have to ride this year out.
“But the way the bookings panned out, a space has come open and she’ll be part of the main series.”
The Russian pro and husband Neil yesterday confirmed their split on social media — ten months after she was caught on film kissing comedian Seann.
They said the decision was “mutual” and pledged to “keep working and dancing together as well as exploring individual projects”.
The couple insist the break-up was not caused by the kissing controversy — triggered when The Sun on Sunday published a picture of Katya and Strictly contestant Seann, 33, snogging outside a pub after a late-night rehearsal.
A spokeswoman said: “The relationship has become more of a friendship.”
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