Neil Jones was reportedly left feeling ‘mortified’ after his Strictly Come Dancing exit from alongside Toyah Willcox, according to an expert.
The 42-year-old professional dancer was teamed up with the 66 year old singer Toyah on this season of the popular BBC dance competition, marking his first celebrity pairing since 2021.
Their journey on Strictly came to an abrupt end during the third live show’s dance-off, where they competed against Paul Merson and Karen Hauer, with the judges deciding to save the latter couple.
A body language specialist has now commented on Neil and Toyah’s demeanour following their departure from the show, suggesting that Neil was ‘mortified’ and Toyah displayed a ‘fake smile’.
Body language and behavioural analyst Darren Stanton observed about Toyah: “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.
Stanton further analysed, “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 is likely to see the elimination as a blow to his ‘professional tuition’, according to Darren. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Slingo, he commented: “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 may have played a part in their lacklustre performance.
“Toyah has not been very good at connecting, and although she says she did, I don’t believe she has been able to build a deep relationship with her pro dancer. You’ve got to have that passion and be able to demonstrate it,” he explained.
“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.”