A man from Newcastle in County Down is competing on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing. John Nellis, who has over 16 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, is partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones.

Nellis had never attended a dance class before being invited to appear on the show. His YouTube content, which includes interviews with footballers such as Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane, led to an email from the Strictly team during the summer inviting him for a trial.

After a trial dance in London, he was accepted onto the programme. Nellis described the experience as living someone else's dream and learning to dance with one of the best in the world.

In week one, Nellis and Jones topped the leaderboard. He said the early weeks felt like a honeymoon phase, but the physical demands and short preparation time for subsequent dances were challenging.

Nellis has not set a goal of winning the competition and is taking it week by week. He said before starting, he wanted to avoid being eliminated first. He now wants to give everything he has each week.

He said the show matters to his large family, with about 30 cousins on his father's side alone, and to people in his hometown who gather to watch on Saturday nights. Nellis stated he feels responsible for their enjoyment.

Nellis and Jones will perform again on Saturday evening on BBC One.