Strictly Come Dancing left Paralympian Will Bayley with injuries he’ll ‘never get over’

A former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has said his time on the show left him with “injuries that still affect me to this day”.

Paralympian Will Bayley, who appeared on the show in 2019, was left in “horrific pain” after practising a jump in rehearsals with his professional partner Janette Manrara.

The 36-year-old table tennis champion told The Sun he didn’t want to do the jump , externaland his coach had also told the show beforehand that he “can’t do jumps”.

A BBC spokesman said it had “longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.”

A representative for Manrara told BBC News: “Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice.

“Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly. Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.”

Bayley left the series in week seven after sustaining the injury, saying at the time that he was “gutted [his] Strictly journey had come to an end.”

He is the latest celebrity to speak out about his negative experience on the show after Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington made allegations against their former dance partners, Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice respectively.

Speaking about the accident, Bayley said a table was brought out during rehearsals for him to practise the jump.

“I said, ‘I’m not sure I can land safely’, but everyone assured me I would be fine,” he recalled.

Bayley was born with arthrogryposis which affects all four of his limbs and limits the range of motion in the joints. He was also diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma during childhood.

Bayley said the injury was sustained after Manrara allegedly told him to redo the jump because his earlier attempt was “rubbish” and he needed to show more passion.

“I was really determined, so I went for it and smiled at the camera. When I landed I just had the most horrific pain. I still have flashbacks now,” he said.

Bayley underwent reconstructive knee surgery in January last year, after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while on the programme.