Neil Jones has joked about “looking cool” as he made his first social media post since announcing his split from wife and Strictly Come Dancing co-star Katya.
The professional dancer shared a picture of himself posing with a white elephant ahead of rehearsals for Strictly amid reports that he will get a celebrity partner on the show for the first time.
Along with the picture, he wrote: “Love a Monday and I’m just chilling with my elephant looking cool before rehearsals. what are your goals for this week?”
He did not directly refer to his recent break-up.
Katya also took to Instagram the morning after their split was made official, posing in a large feathered dress.
She wrote: “Ever wondered how I dress on Monday morning? Yeah… just a casual boring outfit. #happymonday #newweek #chicken #layingeggs #strictly #strictlycomedancing #dancer #feathers #outfit.”
Neil and Katya announced their separation in an official statement on Sunday after six years of marriage and 11 years together overall.
The split came nearly a year after Katya was pictured kissing her former dance partner Seann Walsh, although they did not cite the comedian in their reasons for the break-up.
Russian choreographer Katya was pictured sharing a kiss with Walsh on a night out during the last series of Strictly.
The incident led to the pair performing a “dance of shame” on the show, as the media scrutinised another instance of the so-called Strictly curse.
Neil and Katya remained together following the controversy, and have said the well-publicised incident was not the cause of their split.
They said in a joint statement that they have “made the mutual decision to separate”, adding that their relationship had mellowed into a friendship.
The dancers added that their professional lives and their careers on Strictly would not be impacted by the split.
Ahead of the new series of the BBC One dance show, which includes celebrities such as Anneka Rice, James Cracknell, Jamie Laing and Catherine Tyldesley, it has been reported that Neil will get a dance partner for the first time.
Neil has been in the show since 2016, taking part in group dances and acting as a stand-by, but he has not yet had a celebrity partner.
Katya has also been a professional in the show since 2016 but has always had a star partner.
It is believed she will be included on the main line-up for the new series.