Neil Jones was reportedly left ‘mortified’ after his exit from Strictly Come Dancing alongside Toyah Willcox, according to an expert.
The 42 year old professional dancer was teamed up with the 66 year old singer for this season of the hit BBC dance competition, marking his first celebrity pairing since 2021.
Their journey on Strictly came to an abrupt end when they found themselves in the bottom two during the third live show. In a tense dance-off against Paul Merson and Karen Hauer, the judges decided to save Karen and Paul, leading to Neil and Toyah’s departure.
Body language expert Darren Stanton has analysed Neil and Toyah’s body language following their elimination, suggesting that Neil was ‘mortified’ and Toyah maintained a ‘fake smile’.
Stanton observed: “Toyah has a very fixed expression, kind of like a mask, just before the result is confirmed. It’s a sort of fake smile. I think she knew in her heart she was going to be leaving. She was very stoic and still throughout the deliberation and wasn’t giving too much away,” reports the Express.
He further commented on Toyah’s emotional expression, saying: “I think the root of the problem is Toyah displays emotion in her own way, but external signs that she is passionate and happy are suppressed.”
Meanwhile, Neil will perceive the elimination as a blow to his ‘professional tuition’, according to Darren. Speaking on Betfair Slingo, the pundit remarked: “There was a moment as the results came in where Neil was speaking in her ear, giving some sort of solace, but Toyah was not acknowledging it. She was in a state of anticipation waiting for the moment to end.”
“They didn’t really have a great dynamic or great rapport, and that’s what has cost them here. I think Neil feels absolutely mortified here. They have an Olympic-esque mindset towards their craft. He was doing an expression with his lips as if he was holding his breath. They’ve all got professional pride and I just feel he was disappointed to have been voted off so early. They take it as a dent against their professional tuition.”
Darren also suggested that Toyah’s failure to ‘connect’ with Neil might have been a factor in their lacklustre performance.
“Toyah has not been very good at connecting, and although she says she did, I don’t believe she has managed to forge a deep relationship with her pro dancer. You’ve got to have that passion and be able to demonstrate it,” Darren commented.
“This was the most tense moment of the competition, and she’s not showing any emotion. Instead, she is suppressing it, which is something she’s learnt to do, she’s holding in a lot.”