Strictly professional dancer Neil Jones and Chyna Mills are officially married.
The couple tied the knot in a low-key ceremony at London’s Marylebone Town Hall on Wednesday sharing pictures of their happy day on Instagram on Friday.
In the images, just Chyna and Neil could be seen, following claims the dancer had banned his family from attending after Chyna accused his mother of racism.
Chyna, 27, looked incredible wearing a Bardot white satin gown, while Neil, 44, looked dapper in a fitted suit.
The newlyweds, who are planning on a lavish wedding celebration in Italy later this month, were immediately inundated with congratulatory messages from stars.
Yet, while the couple looked in great spirits on their big day, the wedding has been shrouded by controversy.
Strictly’s Neil Jones and Chyna Mills tied the knot in London on Wednesday after dancer ‘banned his family from attending over racism row’ (pictured at their daughter’s christening last year)
Last year, Love Island star Chyna accused Neil’s mother of ‘bullying, racism, and disrespect’.
She alleged at the time that the Strictly professional dancer’s family ‘ruined’ their daughter Havana’s baptism by choosing not to attend which was the ‘final straw’ in the bitter family feud that had been ‘brewing for years’.
Last month, reports then emerged Neil had banned his family from attending their big day in Italy, which will follow the legal London ceremony.
It is thought that Neil has not even told his mum, Helen, or sister, Terri, when or where the ceremony is taking place.
A source said: ‘The whole thing is a massive shame. His close and extended family were all there when he married his first wife Katya Jones and felt that was an incredibly special day.
‘It makes it even more painful that they have now been cut out completely. Most of them have been blocked by Chyna and Neil, so really have no idea what is going on in their lives at all, let alone about their wedding.’
The source added to The Sun: ‘Everyone feels like Chyna could have shared her concerns in a different way, but instead it’s turned into a public matter and the whole family have been tarred with the same brush.’
The insider added to the publication that the family ‘don’t want it to seem like there is bad blood’ as it is ‘their big day’ and ‘hope it goes really well’.
Sharing black-and-white photographs on Instagram last December, which showed the couple smiling and hugging their two-year-old daughter during her baptism, Chyna spoke out about the family feud she claims has been ongoing behind the scenes.
In a strongly worded post, she wrote: ‘I’ve faced bullying, racism, and constant disrespect from a so-called MIL since the moment I met her. This year, I decided enough was enough and gave her the chance to discuss whatever one-sided issue she had of course, I was ignored.’
She added: ‘Havana’s baptism was a special day, and his family chose not to attend out of loyalty to her and refused to acknowledge what’s unfolded over the past few years. That’s on them. But I won’t accept negative comments or false narratives about my baby girl’s special moments.’
Soon after Neil’s sister Terri spoke out in defence of their mother – accusing Chyna of lying about the situation.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t want to comment at this time. If she wants to spin lies, then look, the truth will come out eventually.’
A source previously said of the brewing family tension: ‘This goes back much further than the baptism. Despite Neil’s efforts over time to understand and address any issues, he and Chyna still don’t know why some family members seem to have taken a dislike to Chyna.
‘This has resulted in them being absent from Havana’s life. Chyna felt pushed into a corner to defend herself after some of Neil’s family friends and relatives left unpleasant comments.
‘She and Neil were deeply upset to see private matters being played out so publicly. They never wanted a public back-and-forth, but they also feel it’s difficult to stay silent when Chyna is criticised so openly for everyone to see.’
The Sun reported that Chyna spoke out after seeing comments about his family’s absence on Instagram.
They claimed Chyna replied to a comment from a family friend: ‘To be clear, myself and Neil chose not to invite Helen because of how she’s treated me and lack of acknowledgement for our daughter.
‘We weren’t willing to have that energy around Havana on her special day.
‘At the start of the year, I reached out and asked to clear the air so we could move forward for Havana’s sake, and that request was ignored.
‘To be honest, the lack of effort with Havana has been there from the beginning’.
Strictly dancer Neil, who is 16 years Chyna’s senior, went public with their relationship in 2022, before the couple announced their engagement and welcomed their daughter, Havana, the following year.
Neil, a four-time World Latin Champion, regularly performs on Strictly as a backing dancer. It is often joked on set that he is rarely given a celebrity partner to compete with.
In 2024, he was paired with Toyah Willcox, and in previous series, he has performed alongside Lioness Alex Scott and EastEnders actress Nina Wadia.
He was previously married to fellow Strictly dancer Katya Jones. The pair had been together for over a decade and married for six years before their relationship ended.
Their marriage broke down a year after Katya was caught kissing her celebrity dance partner, comedian Seann Walsh, with many attributing their split to the show’s infamous ‘Strictly curse.’
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