Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse delivered a spectacularly savage put-down to professional dancer Neil Jones during Saturday night's live show, leaving the studio audience in stitches and viewers at home utterly astonished.
The Musicals Week Confrontation
The dramatic moment unfolded during the show's Musicals Week special on Saturday, 6th December 2025. The remaining five couples had just performed, with former footballer Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu completing an energetic samba to 'The Rhythm of Life' from Sweet Charity.
As Motsi began her critique, praising a particularly difficult spin as "absolutely sensational", Neil Jones interrupted her from the balcony. The judge, refusing to be talked over, snapped back instantly. She turned to face him and declared, "Neil, you get a partner next year and I'll be careful what numbers I will be pulling."
Viewers React to the On-Air Spat
To emphasise her point, Motsi then brandished her number two scorecard directly at Neil, as the studio erupted into laughter. The fiery exchange sent fans rushing to social media to voice their support for the judge's no-nonsense approach.
One viewer posted: "Motsi shutting down Neil is EVERYTHING to me lol." Another commented on the sheer audacity of the moment: "The shade towards Neil from Motsi. IM DEAD!"
The sentiment was widely shared, with a third remarking, "Not Motsi calling out Neil and giving him a 2 bwahaha." Many applauded Motsi for putting Neil in his place, with one fan stating, "Neil has been well and truly told. Welldone Motsi, teach him some manners."
Ex-Wife Katya's Previous Dig
This isn't the first time Neil Jones has found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons recently. Earlier in the week, his ex-wife and fellow Strictly professional, Katya Jones, took a playful dig at him on the spin-off show It Takes Two.
When asked which pro might excel in a samba challenge, co-star Amy Dowden suggested Neil. Katya quickly quipped, "Why does everyone say Neil? We were never good at Samba!" The pair were married for six years before splitting in 2019.
The combination of his ex-wife's jest and Motsi's very public dressing-down made for a memorable week for the professional dancer, proving that the drama on Strictly isn't confined to the dance floor.
