John Nellis shared deeply personal news during Saturday night’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing, revealing that he and his wife, Shannon McMahon, are expecting a baby.
The 33-year-old football content creator said the pregnancy had made his time away from home particularly difficult as he continues competing on the BBC dance show.
Nellis, who is already a proud stepfather to his son Eli, revealed that the couple’s new baby is due in February.
Strictly Star Opens Up About Missing His Family
Speaking about the biggest challenge of his career, Nellis said being separated from his family was becoming increasingly emotional.
He explained that although he enjoys his work, the amount of time spent away from home has been particularly difficult.
Nellis said he misses both his wife and his son and revealed that the prospect of welcoming another child has made his desire to spend more time with his family even stronger.
He also spoke about his hopes of having a large family and recreating the big Christmas celebrations and family gatherings he experienced while growing up.
Nellis and McMahon Married Last Year
The announcement comes around a year after Nellis and McMahon got married.
The couple tied the knot at Ballyness Resort in Dungiven, Northern Ireland, with Nellis already playing an important role in Eli’s life as his stepfather.
The arrival of their baby in February will mark another major milestone for the couple as they continue building their family together.
John Returns to the Dance Floor With Katya Jones
Away from the emotional family announcement, Nellis also faced another challenge on the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor.
After finishing at the top of the leaderboard the previous week, he and professional partner Katya Jones performed the first Couple’s Choice routine of the series.
The pair danced to An Irish Party in Third Class from Titanic, giving Nellis the opportunity to showcase a different side of his dancing ability.
Judges Give Mixed Reaction to His Performance
The performance received a mixed response from the judging panel.
Shirley Ballas said she had “totally enjoyed” the routine, while Anton Du Beke encouraged Nellis to show greater confidence when lifting Jones.
Craig Revel Horwood was considerably less impressed, awarding Nellis four points and criticising him for being too “heavy footed”.
Ballas and Du Beke both awarded seven points, leaving Nellis with 23 points for the routine.
Nellis Remains Near the Top of the Leaderboard
Despite Craig’s lower score, Nellis’ strong opening-week performance kept him in a competitive position.
He entered the latest show with 31 points from his first routine. Adding his 23 points from Saturday’s performance gave him an overall total of 54.
That placed him towards the top of the leaderboard and continued what has been a strong start to his Strictly journey.
From Football Videos to Strictly Ballroom
Nellis is one of Britain’s biggest sports content creators, with a combined social media following of more than 20 million.
His football-focused videos have generated billions of views and have featured some of the biggest names in world football, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His work has also taken him around the world to cover major sporting events and collaborate with elite athletes.
Most recently, he worked with Manchester City and Norway star Erling Haaland, with content from the collaboration reportedly generating more than 60 million views across social media.
He Left Air Traffic Control for Content Creation
Nellis’ route into the world of online entertainment was far from conventional.
Originally from Newcastle in County Down, Northern Ireland, he previously worked as an air traffic controller before deciding to pursue content creation full-time.
The move eventually turned into a highly successful career in sports media.
His achievements have included winning Sport Creator of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Awards UK and Ireland, further establishing him as one of the leading football creators in the country.
Nellis Has Won Over Strictly Viewers
The 2026 Strictly Come Dancing cast faced criticism from some viewers when it was initially announced, with some fans arguing that the line-up lacked enough familiar household names.
Nellis, however, has quickly begun attracting attention through his performances.
His strong opening week and subsequent appearance with Jones have helped establish him as one of the contestants to watch as the competition continues.
For now, though, his biggest excitement appears to be away from the ballroom, with the arrival of his second child set to give him and McMahon a new reason to celebrate in February.
