Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones has been dealt another blow after a rival pro dancer was accused of ripping off her routines.
Katya, 36, has been part of the beloved BBC show since 2016 and won the 2017 edition alongside Joe McFadden.
On TikTok, a user named @scdxediits shared a post suggesting Witney Carson – a pro on US counterpart Dancing With The Stars – is copying Katya’s choreography.
They penned: ‘How Witney feels after copying Katya’s choreography once again.’
To illustrate the point, they showed clips of Katya dancing with Lewis Cope this year to Witney and Robert Irwin – highlighting similar moves.
Former Strictly pro Oti Mabuse commented underneath the post: ‘Been saying this for years…’
Katya Jones has been part of the Strictly family for almost decade – and was most recently partnered with Lewis Cope
The pair performed a very well received paso doble together during Movie Week, which had Cynthia Erivo as a guest mentor
Taking to TikTok, a fan highlighted similarities between Katya’s routine and Witney Carson’s with Robert Irwin
Former Strictly star Oti Mabuse even waded into the row – confirming that she’d had the same suspicions herself for years
The creator appeared to backtrack but telling fans they were being dramatic, despite being the one to whip up the speculation
Another fan came to Witney’s defence, writing: ‘Do they realise DWTS started a few weeks before Strictly which means that Katya and Lewis copied Robert and Witney?’
As it happens, Katya and Lewis danced their routines on October 11 and November 1 – while Witney and Robert performs theirs on November 1 and November 25.
Other fans pointed out Katya had not invented the dance moves, with others including DWTS pro Alan Bersten having previously used them.
One remarked: ‘As a dancer this is crazy. Those moves existed long before Katya, pretty sure Alan did the first one last year too.’
The spotlighted routines are Katya and Lewis’ paso doble to The Plaza of Execution, as well as their couple’s choice – Creep by Radiohead.
In particular, the paso doble ended with Katya lying on the floor as Lewis jumped into the air and landed crouched – his feet on either side of her waist.
It followed Lewis and Katya having performed a similar move at the end of their paso doble together
When Witney and Robert performed a paso doble to Icky Thump, they executed the same move.
Elsewhere, Katya and Lewis’ couple’s choice featured the Emmerdale alum holding onto Katya’s head – while he slowly lowered her to the ground and she remained in a stiff plank.
Witney and Robert performed the same move during their quickstep to Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl in the recent DWTS final.
The pair ultimately went on to be crowned the winners, mirroring Robert’s sister Bindi having triumphed a decade earlier.
