Strictly Come Dancing’s Will Bayley and Neil Jones BOTH miss tonight’s live show after suffering injuries in rehearsal
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Will Bayley and Neil Jones are both missing Saturday’s live show after suffering injuries in rehearsals.
Paralympian Will, 31, and his pro-partner Janette Manrara were supposed to be dancing a jive, but the table tennis player suffered a devastating fall in rehearsals.
Host Claudia Winklemen told viewers as Saturday night’s episode opened: “Will and Janette are missing from tonight’s line up.
“Will suffered a knee injury and he’s been told he cannot perform and must rest.
He co-host also updated fans about Neil’s disappearance, after Alex Scott was spotted dancing with Kevin Clifton.
She said: “Neil is also missing tonight.
“He also suffered an injury earlier today and is unable to dance tonight but the brilliant Kevin will be stepping in.”
Will appeared via a video link and revealed his injuries to viewers.
He said: I jumped off a table and as I landed, I landed with a straight leg.
“I thought I had broken my leg but it wasn’t as bad as that, to hear the words I ‘can’t dance’, was absolutely gutting to me.
“But I need to come back even stronger next week.
As Will and Janette are unable to vote you will not be able to vote for them tonight.
Will’s partner Janette paid tribute to Will.
“He’s a bit gutted he couldn’t be with us tonight dancing the jive that he absolutely loved.
“He’s at home, he’s resting and fingers crossed he can be back with us next week.
“He was so looking forward to being loud, fun, energetic will, but you know things happen so we’re going to stay strong, move forward and hopefully he can come back.”
Elsewhere, the stars of Strictly Come Dancing have been hit by sickness – and show producers were said to be desperately trying to keep the severity of the bug under wraps as panic grows backstage.
According to reports, “several” contestant and professional dancers have been struck down, with bosses doing everything they can to stop the germs from spreading.
The Daily Star have said that execs have “got loads of medicine in” – and have even been dishing out hand sanitiser in a bid to prevent healthy celebs falling ill.
An insider explained: “Everyone is working hard and obviously they get up close and personal with each other as they dance.
“When someone gets sick it quickly spreads through the cast.”
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They added: “Lots of people have been under the weather but the show must go on.”
Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley is among the contestants currently panicking about catching the bug.
Speaking to the publication, she confessed: “I’m not feeling great today. I’m very tired.”
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