Katya Jones says she almost quit Strictly Come Dancing after her and partner Lewis Cope were eliminated in last year’s quarter-finals. She describes the experience as “heartbreaking” and says she was not sure she could face it again.

Jones’ comments are reported by multiple outlets ahead of her return to the show. They present the same core account: she considered stepping away because of how the series ended for her, but does not indicate she had already made a final decision to leave. The coverage focuses on her personal reflections on returning after an elimination rather than on any changes to the programme itself.