James Jordan has hit out at Strictly Come Dancing bosses after seeing pro dancer Neil Jones miss out on having a celebrity partner again.
Neil has been a fan favourite on Strictly for a number of years, having joined the BBC show as a pro in 2014. However, so far, Neil has only actually made it onto the line-up twice, with Alex Scott in 2019, when he and the England Women's footballer turned TV host finished fifth and with ex EastEnders actress Nina Wadia last year, with them getting the boot much earlier than viewers expected.
After this year's launch show was delayed a week in the aftermath of the Queen's death, it finally aired on Friday night on BBC One, just 24 hours before the first live show takes place. James, who partnered the likes of Vanessa Feltz, Pamela Stephenson and Denise Van Outen during his time on Strictly, is known for being outspoken with his views on the show that shot him to TV fame and was among the many to tune in.
Over the years he has taken aim at professional group numbers and the judges' scoring and, on Friday night, he questioned Strictly's decision to leave Neil out in the cold again.
The launch show saw this year's Strictly couples finally revealed, with four new pro dancers joining the ranks this year and two of them immediately partnered with celebs as part of the main line-up.
READ MORE: Strictly new series couples finally announced after launch delay
After learning that Neil wasn't paired with anyone, James, who is married to fellow Strictly pro Ola, took to Twitter to post: "Very strange - such a shame they don’t use the talent we have in this country. Especially when he has the best pedigree. Nothing against the foreign dancers as my wife was one of them BUT too few home grown so why not Neil???"
Agreeing with James, one of his followers replied: "I wonder why he didn't get a partner this year? I'm not against having "New" pros but I bloody love @Mr_NJones his choreography is amazing, really disappointed," with a second commenting: "I am not happy @Mr_NJones is an amazing dancer was hoping he’d get paired with Kym (Marsh) … I feel this may be the year I call it quits with strictly."
A third fumed: "Absolutely agree! So disappointed @Mr_NJones not having a fair crack of the whip!"
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