Strictly's Neil Jones has shock realisation about Gordon Ramsay
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Neil Jones has teamed up with The National Lottery in a bid to end homelessness — something which he experienced when he left the UK to pursue a dance career in Finland. In a new column for Metro, the Strictly Come Dancing professional detailed how he ended up homeless while trying to make it as a dancer.
I didn’t have anywhere to stay, or enough money to pay for accommodation
Neil Jones
After completing his GCSEs, the 39-year-old decided to seek opportunities in other countries outside of the UK, where he believed he would find better chances of making it big as a performing artist.
Unfortunately, though, Neil underestimated how difficult things would become after moving out of his mother’s home.
“I travelled to Helsinki and began training at a dance school there. However, I didn’t have anywhere to stay, or enough money to pay for accommodation,” he shared.
“For several months, I would sleep on the sofas or floors of different friends’ houses in the city.”
On one particular occasion, though, Neil said he had nowhere to go as three of his friends were either not at home or they didn’t have a free room for him that night.
This led him to find shelter at the dance school he’d been rehearsing at, which proved to be rather challenging as security guards patrolled the block throughout the night.
“The school was based in a huge warehouse – about 10 floors high,” the Strictly star continued.
“The building had individual units for the arts, with studios for everything from dance to painting and photography.
“I was able to access the building by using a lift outside. I then went up to the level where the dance studio was and slept on the floor until morning.
“I made sure I was up early enough before anyone came in, so I could pretend as though I was just arriving at the studio with everybody else.”
Neil refused to tell his mum about his rough living arrangements because he didn’t want her to worry.
But after a week of struggling, he decided to confide in his friend, hoping that they could assist him in finding a place to stay. Fortunately, his pal knew of a shelter nearby, where he would stay for three weeks before deciding to fly back home to his mum.
“I had enough money to get food, as my mum would send me some. But I didn’t want to worry her or say that I needed more,” he shared.
“Instead, I told her that everything was good, and let her think that I was still living with my partner. She had no idea I was homeless and didn’t actually find out until about a year ago.”
In the latest series of Strictly – which saw Rose Ayling-Ellis take home the ballroom trophy last Saturday — Neil and his partner, EastEnders star Nina Wadia, were the first to be eliminated from the show.
During their interview on Strictly’s It Takes Two, the pair said they were “gutted” to be the first dance couple to receive the boot, as they had quickly formed a bond in the short time they’d known one another.
“You’ve been such a pleasure to watch and do you know what’s so lovely about the two of you?” presenter Rylan Clark-Neal quizzed the pair.
“You guys genuinely have so much fun together, don’t you?”
Neil quipped: “A lot. I can’t wait to get rid of her, no I’m going to miss her a lot.”
Nadia added: “I’m gutted I so much more to give I wanted to spend more time with [Neil], more than my husband.
“We were like a married couple.”
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