Will Bayley has been forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing after a horrific leg injury in rehearsals left him unable to perform
The Paralympian admitted he wasgutted’ to pull out, after he was given a bye through to next week’s competition after jumping off a table and collapsing on his knee
Viewers saw brief footage of the star coiled over in pain to explain his absence, with his future on the show in doubt
That was confirmed tonight he would not be returning as Strictly tweeted the sad news along with a statement
‘and will join The full statement from the BBC read:Sadly, due to the injury sustained last week, Will Bayley is leaving Strictly Come Dancing Executive Producer Sarah James said:We are so sad that Will is unable to continue on the show
He is an incredible and talented person who has brought us some unforgettable moments this series – in particular his powerful and moving Couple’s Choice routine
He will be greatly missed and we wish him a speedy recovery ‘I’m gutted my Strictly journey has had to come to an end,’ Will said in the statement
‘I’ve loved being part of the show, and am so grateful for the phenomenal support we have received
I want to say a special thank you to Janette for believing in me and giving me the confidence to believe in myself
The things we achieved, from our Couple’s Choice dance through to the lifts in our Salsa, will stay with me forever
I’ve had the time of my life Will’s partner Janette Manrara added:Absolutely devastated that Will and I will not be able to continue dancing
We made some incredible memories that I will never forget, and I am pleased to have shared them with such an inspirational person, whom I can now call a friend for life It Takes Two host Zoe Ball sent her love to the champ, as she tweeted:All the love to & @JManrara,’ along with two love hearts
Her co-host Rylan Clark-Neal chimed in:Soooo gutted for you’re amazing mate and so sad you’ve had to leave
Wishing you a speedy recovery. And to lovely you’re simply amazing! Xxx We’re gonna miss you xxxx His fellow contestants and other pros soon took to social media to share their heartbreak at Will’s departure
Will was heavily praised as an inspiration during his time on the show as he performed alongside Janette
The table tennis champion has arthrogryposis, a rare condition which affects all four of his limbs, causing curved and/or stiff joints and muscle weakness
His final dance, a contemporary routine to ballad Seven Years, left Motsi Mabuse and half the cast in tears as it told the story of his cancer survival and condition
Will is the second person this year to leave the competition due to injury, with Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing ending up in a moon boot and on crutches after the first group dance performance
Kelvin Fletcher was drafted in to replace Jamie alongside Oti Mabuse as a jump up from the floor ripped tendons in the reality star’s foot
On last night’s show, professional dancer Neil Jones was also ruled out of the show due to injury, forcing Kevin Clifton to jump in with an hour’s notice to dance in his place alongside Alex Scott
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 7pm on BBC One.