Toyah Willcox reveals why she was allowed to pick her Strictly Come Dancing partner
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 star Toyah Willcox was allowed to pick her professional dance partner because she rejected two young professional dancers.
Toyah Willcox picked her Strictly Come Dancing professional partner after she rejected two choices from producers
The 67-year-old singer danced with Neil Jones, 43, on the hit BBC Latin and ballroom dance show in 2024 because she did not want the two unnamed younger professionals.
Appearing on Friday's (12.09.25) episode of ITV's Good Morning Britain, Toyah explained to anchors Robert Rinder and Kate Garraway: "I did not want to be with someone who was so young that was going to have to work with me so intimately. It would have felt completely wrong."
Revealing why she chose to grace the ballroom floor with Neil, the I Want to Be Free hitmaker continued: "I chose Neil Jones because I liked him, I loved every minute with him, but that age gap wasn't so enormous."
Kate then quizzed: "Did you feel like it might make you look older, or did you feel it was inappropriate?"
Toyah replied: "Just inappropriate. I have no worries about looking older. I'm 68, so I'm perfectly aware of that."
The singer and Neil, and Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, 25, and his professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova, 36, were in the first bottom two of the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
However, Toyah and Neil managed to dodge elimination after their Jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike and Tina Turner.
However, the dance couple were eliminated in week three - Movies Week - after their Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from Disney's The Little Mermaid failed to win over the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, 60, Motsi Mabuse, 44, Shirley Ballas, 65, and Anton Du Beke, 59.
Reflecting on her Strictly Come Dancing experience, Toyah told Good Morning Britain's Robert, 47, and 58 year old Kate: "I loved every minute, but I disagreed with everything the judges said, I was brilliant.
"And that's my mindset. You can say whatever you want, but [in my head], I'm brilliant."
The 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing begins on September 20 with the pre-recorded launch show - in which the show's presenters Tess Daly, 56, and Claudia Winkleman, 53, will reveal who the 15 celebrities are partnered up with.
The stars battling it out to win the coveted Glitterball Trophy are 37-year-old former sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey - also known as Nitro from Gladiators - Love Island star Dani Dyer, 29, retired footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, and Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston, 62.
Also, YouTuber-and-podcaster George Clarke, 25, EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, 46, trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein, 23 - the first model with Down Syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue magazine - and RuPaul's Drag Race UK star La Voix, 45, will grace the ballroom floor.
In addition, retired England rugby player Chris Robshaw, 39, The Apprentice 2019 candidate Thomas Skinner, 34, former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, 37, and Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis, 66, were also confirmed to be taking part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
And completing this year's line-up are Lorraine and Good Morning Britain's Los Angeles Correspondent Ross King, 63, former England women's football player Karen Carney, 38, and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, 30 - who replaced Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn, 49, after he withdrew from the series for medical reasons.
