Jowita Przystal clarifies she’s not leaving Strictly Come Dancing after ‘last dance’ post
The Polish professional dancer says the post referred to her final dance with partner Ross King, not a departure from the show.
Jowita Przystal has cleared up speculation that she is quitting Strictly Come Dancing, saying a recent Instagram post was misworded and referred to her last dance with partner Ross King rather than leaving the show.
The 31-year-old professional dancer was seen backstage with King during the emotional Strictly finale on Saturday, and posted a selfie of the pair ahead of a group dance with the other professionals. Fans quickly questioned the meaning of the caption, which read: “last dance partner on strictly floor x @therossking.”
Przystal addressed the confusion on Sunday morning, posting again to explain that the wording was intended to signal she would soon share her final dance with King, not that she planned to walk away from Strictly altogether. In a message accompanying a group photo of the professionals, she wrote: “So grateful for being part of the best show on tv. And just to clarify my last post, it was about my last dance with Ross, not me leaving the show. Hopefully far from my last dance on that dance floor.”
In a subsequent post on her Instagram grid, Przystal also extended praise to the season’s champions, ex-footballer Karen Carney and pro Carlos Gu. She shared a video capturing the moment the winners were announced and offered congratulations, noting how proud she felt watching them shine on the dance floor. She thanked fellow finalists George Clarke, Alexis Warr, Ambrose Davies, and Nikita Kuzmin as well, saying they had left their hearts on the floor and should be proud of their efforts. She also paid tribute to Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who delivered emotional farewells as hosts after 21 years. Przystal thanked the presenters for their support and kindness, and wished them happiness in whatever comes next.
Her messages came amid a finale that saw Karen Carney and Carlos Gu lift the Glitterball trophy after a night of performances and tributes. The broadcast also featured emotional moments as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were saluted for their long-running roles, with the audience and many viewers moved by the surprise letter from Queen Camilla, read by judge Craig Revel Horwood. In the note, the Queen thanked Daly and Winkleman for their service and urged them to keep dancing as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
Przystal closed her posts by thanking the Strictly family for five months of memory-making and wishing everyone a merry Christmas with the familiar refrain to “keep dancing.” She ended with a playful nod to her partner, Ross King, thanking him for a short but sweet journey and noting she looked forward to watching him in pantomime.
Przystal joined Strictly in 2021 and quickly rose to prominence by winning the show in her debut year with partner Hamza Yassin. Her latest clarification follows weeks of fan speculation sparked by the social-media post, which she subsequently clarified to reassure viewers that she remains a fixture of the series for the current season and beyond.
The finale capped a six-month arc for Strictly, which has seen changes at the top of the show, including Daly and Winkleman stepping down as hosts after a storied 21-year run. The program’s producers have indicated that the show will continue with a new hosting arrangement in future seasons, while fans savor what remains of this year’s competition and the long-standing culture surrounding the dance-floor troupe.