Paralympian Will Bayley said his time on Strictly Come Dancing left him with an injury that still affects him to this day.
Bayley, 36, said he was left in “horrific pain” after practicing a jump in rehearsals with his professional dancing partner, Janette Manrara. The athlete told The U.K. Sun in an interview published on Sunday, July 21, that he didn’t want to do the jump that ultimately led to his exit in 2019.
“I said, ‘I’m not sure I can land safely.’ But everyone assured me I would be fine,” he recalled. “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.”
Bayley, who was born with arthrogryposis and diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, explained that the injury was sustained after Manrara, 40, allegedly told him to redo the jump because his initial attempt was “rubbish.”
“I’ll never get over that injury — you have it for life,” he added. “I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts.”
A rep for Manrara spoke out against the accusations, telling BBC News in a statement, “Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favorite 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 speculated in his tell-all that Manrara was “under a lot of pressure by the bosses” to perform a certain way. He cited that as the possible reason why he ended up in harm’s way.
“She was a passionate teacher and she was part of the decision to do the jump. I feel she could have protected me more, but I didn’t have an issue with her,” he shared. “It was mentally hard and I didn’t want to let her down.”
BBC’s spokesperson also addressed Bayley’s allegations in a statement that noted their “longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.”
After the injury, Bayley underwent reconstructive knee surgery because he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Bayley noted that his health got worse because he “didn’t go to hospital until two days later” when his leg was scanned.
“I should have been taken to hospital as soon as I had the accident, but all they cared about was trying to get me to dance,” he claimed. “No one has ever contacted me from the BBC or said sorry.”
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Bayley is the latest celebrity to speak out about his negative experience on the competition show after Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington recently made allegations against their former dance partners: Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice respectively.
BBC director Tim Davie addressed the controversy in a statement where he maintained that the organization “will never tolerate unacceptable behavior” and that “the line should never be crossed”.
Davie said bosses need to learn from the allegations. “I think everyone knows we care about duty of care. We want people to have a positive experience. Overall, we’re very proud of the BBC,” he told Sky News on Tuesday. “At the same time, if someone feels there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience, then of course we want them to raise that with us. And be in no doubt, we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
