Katya Jones has insisted she did not call Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lawrence Robb “fit” during Saturday night’s live show.
The professional dancer became the subject of some very specific viewer speculation after the cameras caught her reacting to Lawrence’s Paso Doble with professional partner Jowita Przystał.
As the camera cut to the balcony following the performance, Katya was seen turning to fellow professional Aleksandra Isaeva and appearing to mouth the word “fit”.
The moment quickly went viral, with viewers debating exactly what Katya had said. Lawrence, 34, is best known for playing Mackenzie Boyd in Emmerdale and performed a dramatic Paso Doble during the first live show of the 2026 series.
The speculation continued on Good Morning Britain on Monday, when Katya’s former Strictly partner Ed Balls said he was convinced she had called the actor “fit”.
But Balls returned to the subject on Tuesday's programme with an update from Katya herself.
“I said yesterday, it’s pretty clear she said ‘he’s fit’,” he said. “In my heart of hearts I still kind of think that. But she sent me a WhatsApp, ‘I said fierce!’”
Balls added: “Katya has always told me the unvarnished truth so it must be true.”
So, according to Katya, the word was “fierce” rather than “fit” — although Balls appears to remain slightly unconvinced.
Katya is partnered with content creator John Nellis this year, and the pair made a strong start to the competition.
Their foxtrot to Alex Warren’s Ordinary earned them 31 points from the judges and put them at the top of the leaderboard alongside Delta Goodrem after the first live show.
Meanwhile, Lawrence and Jowita received 15 points for their Paso Doble. The routine was described as dramatic and confident, although the judges had some criticism of his technique.
The first live show did not feature a public vote or elimination. Strictly Come Dancing will return this Saturday for Movie Week, when the competition will begin to take a more serious turn.
