Strictly's John Nellis Announces Baby on Live TV, Leaves Fans in Tears

Strictly Come Dancing contestant John Nellis revealed during Saturday's live show that he and his wife, Shannon McMahon, are expecting another baby in February [1, 2]. The Northern Irish YouTube star, already a father to son Eli, shared the news in a pre-recorded video package before his dance with professional partner Katya Jones [1, 2].

Nellis, 33, spoke about the challenges of being away from his family while competing on the show. "The hardest part of my job, and it genuinely breaks my heart, is the amount of time I spend away from family," he explained, adding, "I miss my wife more than you can imagine, and my son. And our family's growing. We're having another baby in February" [1, 2].

The digital content creator expressed his desire for a large family, recalling his own "blessed childhood" filled with "big Christmases and big parties" [1, 2]. He also paid a touching tribute to his father, describing their relationship as being "best friends first" [1, 2]. His parents, he said, are "the most supportive people" with a strong "moral compass" [1, 2].

The announcement brought an emotional response from viewers, with many taking to social media to share their tears of joy ^[2]. Even Strictly professional Johannes Radebe was reportedly "moved to tears" by the family bond depicted in the clip ^[1].

Following the heartfelt reveal, Nellis and Jones performed their Couple's Choice routine to 'An Irish Party in Third Class' from the film Titanic [1, 2]. Despite John reportedly dropping his partner at the end, according to Mirror ^[1], they secured an impressive 23 points. Judge Shirley Ballas praised the performance, saying she "totally enjoyed it" [1, 2].

However, the judging panel was divided. Craig Revel Horwood gave the duo a low score of four, finding the dance "very heavy footed" and lacking "finesse" [1, 2]. Motsi Mabuse awarded them five points, while Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke both gave them seven points [1, 2].

Nellis had previously admitted before the series began that his dancing skills were so poor, his loved ones initially thought his participation in Strictly was a joke ^[1]. He confessed to being nervous but "ridiculously excited" about the experience and was even prepared for Craig Revel Horwood to "rip me to shreds!".