Strictly Come Dancing pro Gorka Marquez dazzled as Ken in the group Barbie dance played out before the nation this evening – but it was Neil Jones as his best pal Allan who commanded as much, if not more attention.
Neil joined the show as a pro dancer seven years ago and has competed just twice since – but both appearances were ultra-memorable.
While he hasn’t danced with a partner for a couple of years, his luck might be about to change if eager fans have anything to do with it.
Twitter (X) was taken by storm tonight, with viewers making comments such as: “Neil was born to play Allan” and “Neil as Allan is absolutely perfect.”
Others branded it a “perfect casting” for Movie Week, as Neil shimmied around alongside co-stars including his ex-wife Katya, who appeared to channel Roller Barbie.
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Neil partnered with former footballer-turned-pundit Alex Scott in 2019, followed by EastEnders actress Nina Wadia in 2021, but has had a quiet couple of years on the Strictly front since.
However, his silver sequined shirt and cheeky grin, along with his sandy ginger-blonde hairstyle had Barbie lovers transfixed.
Meanwhile, fans also turned their attention towards Gorka Marquez, with some insisting he was better than Ryan Gosling at playing Ken.
He looked like a dead ringer for Ryan when he performed the song ‘I’m Just Ken’ from a film that has now grossed over £1 billion.
There were plenty more surprises in store during the dance, with double denim and candy pink outfits galore throughout.
Dianne Buswell channelled the main character, donning a platinum blonde wig and a pink gingham dress just like Barbie in the now world-famous movie.
Meanwhile, Ellie Leach made the surprise admission that she doesn’t think anyone could play her in a movie other than herself.
“I think I would have to play myself… I don’t know if anyone could truly capture my weird personality,” the former Corrie actress reasoned.
When not channelling Barbie and Ken’s male pal on the stage, Neil has a full life behind the scenes, having recently welcomed a baby daughter this week.
Neil, who was previously married to fellow Strictly pro Katya Jones before splitting with her and then falling for Chyna Mills, is delighted about the new arrival.
He has proposed to Chyna, who posed a photo of their baby’s feet on Instagram, with a caption gushing: “Our hearts are full.”