Strictly Neil Jones’ romance with Love Island star – ‘joke’ engagement to new baby

There are plenty of crossovers in the world of showbiz and Neil Jones and Chyna Mills’ romance continues to blossom, with the pair recently announcing they were engaged and expecting a baby.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 41, was first linked to his 24-year-old fiancé in August 2022 and their relationship has flourished ever since.

A few months after they went public with their romance, the dancing pro relocated from his home in London to Leeds to be with the former Love Island star.

READ MORE: Katya Jones responds as ex Neil Jones announces he’s engaged to pregnant Chyna Mills

The couple never shy from flaunting their romance and often gush over each other on their social media pages.

As Neil celebrates his 41st birthday, Daily Star has taken a deep dive into the TV duo’s sweet relationship.

First link

In July 2022, romance rumours began swirling Neil and Chyna after they were snapped getting cosy at the Reality TV awards.

The pair were spotted holding hands after they attended the afterparty for the awards in Chelsea, London, sharing a black cab with Neil’s Strictly co-star and pal Giovanni Pernice.

A source told The Sun at the time: ““Chyna and Neil are getting close after meeting that night. They have great chemistry.”

Romance ‘confirmed’

Just under one month later, the couple “confirmed” their romance as they stepped out holding hands during a romantic trip to Paris.

While there, they posted several snaps to their Instagram accounts but managed to avoid posting the other’s face, leaving fans wondering if they were official.

After Chyna, who appeared on Love Island as a Casa Amor bombshell in 2022, returned from the trip, she teased her new romance during an Instagram Q&A.

When asked who she went to Paris with, the reality star sarcastically replied: “A friend” followed by a laughing emoji.

First public appearance

After weeks of speculation, Neil and Chyna made their first public appearance as a couple when they attended the Guardians Of The Galaxy immersive experience at the end of August.

The loved-up pair were all smiles as they posed side by side at the event held at The Secret Cinema in London.

One week later, the couple made their red carpet debut as they walked hand-in-hand at the People’s Pet Awards held at the Grosvenor House.

Birthday post

In November, Neil shared a gushing Instagram post as he wished Chyna a happy 24th birthday.

Sharing a smitten selfie as he planted a kiss on his then-girlfriend’s cheek, Neil thanked the Love Island boys for not snapping her up while they had the chance.

He penned: “For the short time I’ve known you I have loved every moment, those LI boys losses are definitely my gain and I can’t wait for the world to see what you can do.”

The dancer signed off the sweet post with a “love you” to the Yorkshire native.

The next step

Just a few months after confirming their romance, it was announced the couple had taken the next step in their relationship and moved in together.

It was reported that Neil, who has been part of Strictly since 2016, relocated to Leeds to be with Chyna.

An insider told The Sun: “Chyna and Neil are inseparable and want to spend as much time together as possible.

“They both have crazy schedules so it can be tough to fit in, so they decided that even if they just get to spend the night together that would be enough.”

First Valentine’s Day

On Valentines Day, Neil shared a selection of snaps featuring the couple and declared his love for her ahead of going on tour.

Neil, who was married to his Strictly co-star Katya Jones until 2019, shared: “Happy Love day to the woman who keeps me smiling.

“Today has been a day of just me and you plus our dogs and I love our time together especially after a long tour oh by the way I’m going back on tour in a couple of months so I know you will miss me and I promise to keep annoying you with my incredible personality for the rest of your life. Love ya.”

Double announcement

In April 2023, Neil and Chyna announced they were expecting a baby.

The couple posed for a sweet photoshoot with Hello! Magazine, sharing the loved-up snaps on Instagram as Neil cradled his fiancé’s blossoming bump.

“Excitement is an understatement,” Neil penned in the caption while the youth support worker wrote: “I feel like I’m dreaming”.

The duo also revealed they were set to tie the knot, with Neil admitting he planned on asking Chyna to marry him before he discovered she was pregnant.

“I’d already planned to ask Chyna to marry me before we knew she was pregnant,” he told the publication. “Then we found out and I was like: ‘Oh, this is brilliant, everything is coming together’.”

Recalling the moment her beau got down on one knee, Chyna said: “At first, I thought he was joking because we play jokes on each other all the time,” Chyna said of the moment Neil got down on one knee.

“Then Neil was like: ‘Chyna, so is it a yes or no?’ because a few minutes had passed and he was still on one knee. I was like: ‘Yeah!'”

One month after Neil proposed, Chyna took to Instagram with a photo of her engagement ring and gushed over her husband-to-be in view of her 62,000 followers.

She wrote: “A month ago I said yes! I laughed at first and then cried my eyes out and I’m still crying now @mr_njonesofficial you make me an incredibly happy woman and your more than what I could dream to be the perfect loving father to our child. Love you baby x.”

Pregnancy discovery

During an appearance on Loose Women on May 1, Neil told the panel he believed his dogs knew Chyna was pregnant before he did.

“The dogs were constantly going up to her and always went to her tummy,” he explained.

The BBC star added: “I thought she was sick or something and then when we found out I was like, ‘Ah, you could’ve let me in on the secret!”

Neil and Chyna will welcome their first child in early Autumn.

For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

READ NEXT:

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk