Strictly star Will Bayley says show left him with ‘horrific’ injury he’ll ‘never get over’

‘I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over,’ ex-contestant said

Another Strictly Come Dancing contestant has spoken out against their time on the show.

Paralympian Will Bayley appeared on the BBC dancing series in 2019 and was forced to withdraw six weeks in after tearing his knee ligaments in rehearsals.

He is now opening up about his behind-the scenes experience amid a scandal that has shone a spotlight on the show’s duty of care protocols.

Bayley said the injury, which occurred when his professional partner Janette Manrara made him redo a jump after a “rubbish” attempt, has resulted in an excruciating pain he will live with “forever”.

The table tennis player had to complete the move with straight knees due to having arthrogryposis, which prevents certain limb movements – but he fell to the ground and immediately felt “horrific pain”.

“We practiced a few times and I was really careful,” he told The Sun. “But then Janette said my jump was ‘rubbish’ and I needed to smile more and go for it and show a bit of passion.

“I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over. I heard my leg crack, I couldn’t breathe.”

Recalling how the injury has affected his training, he added: “I’ll never get over that injury – you have it for life. I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore.”

Bayley said he “didn’t have an issue” with Manrara, who now co-hosts Strictly companion show It Takes Two, but attributed the blame to the pressure the show’s producers put on the professionals.

Will Bayley was left with a life-changing injury due to ‘Strictly (BBC)

“Ultimately, I think she was under a lot of pressure by the bosses to perform a certain way and I think it was them pushing me that caused the accident,” he said, but added: “I feel she could have protected me more... It was mentally hard and I didn’t want to let her down.”

A spokesperson for Manrara said: “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.”

Earlier this month, Graziano Di Prima admitted to kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott; he has been dropped from the forthcoming series.

The revelation was brought to light during an investigation into the series, which was launched after Sherlock star Amanda Abbington raised concerns about her treatment in the rehearsal room by Giovanni Pernice.

Pernice has denied any allegations of mistreatment and will also no longer be a part of the show when it returns in September.

Bayley said he did not feel “anyone was really looking out for” him after the injury, stating: “There was no duty of care – 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.”

Janette Manrara and Will Bayley on ‘Strictly’ in 2019 (BBC)

He said “it was a horrific time for me and my family” as he “never knew if I could play table tennis again”. Bayley says the BBC denied him compensation for loss of earnings, but paid for his surgery in 2020.

A BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.”