Strictly Come Dancing star Will Bayley has been spotted with his leg in a brace, as it was confirmed that he had quit the show after suffering a knee injury in rehearsals.
The Paralympian, 31, was in high spirits as he sported the protective brace on his leg to arrive for It Takes Two filming with his professional partner Janette Manrara, after bosses confirmed he had been forced to withdraw from the competition.
Will was forced to pull out of the show after suffering the injury during rehearsals last week which left him ‘screaming in agony.’
Ouch! Strictly Come Dancing star Will Bayley has been spotted with his leg in a brace, as it was confirmed that he had quit the show after suffering a knee injury in rehearsals
Healing: The Paralympian sported the protective brace on his knee as he stepped out in London, as it was confirmed by Strictly bosses that he had pulled out of the show
Despite his recent injury, Will was still smiling as he stepped out in the capital with partner Janette.
The table tennis champion was in the midst of healing his knee as he sported the protective brace, after devastating fans with news of his withdrawal from the show.
Will’s partner Janette was also smiling despite his departure from the show, as she was sweetly embraced by a fan.
Focused: Despite his recent injury, Will was still smiling as he stepped out in the capital with partner Janette, just hours before it was confirmed that he had quit the show
Questions: His future on the show had been thrown into jeopardy after suffering the knee injury, which forced him to pull out of the Halloween special on Saturday
Friendly: Will was joined by his professional partner as they stepped out together, and the American pro was still in good spirits as she posed for a snap with a fan
Low-key: Janette sported casual purple floral loafers as she stepped out in London with her celebrity partner Will
It comes as Strictly bosses confirmed on Wednesday that Will had been forced to withdraw from the competition, saying: ‘Sadly, due to the injury sustained last week, Will Bayley is leaving Strictly Come Dancing.’
Will went onto say: ‘I’m gutted my Strictly journey has had to come to an end. 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.’
Janette 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 who I can now call a friend for life.’
Suffering: Last week the Paralympian suffered the injury in rehearsals, and it was reported that a decision will be made in the coming day about his future on the show
On the mend: Will still seemed determined to get well as he stepped out, after missing yet another day of rehearsals due to his injury
It had been previously reported that Will’s future on the show was hanging in the balance, as a source told The Sun that his chances of staying on the show were ‘less than slim.’
A source told the publication that even if Will was allowed to continue after a final consultation with a specialist, he would be at a disadvantage as he’s missed several days of training with pro Janette Manrara.
They said: ‘Will is devastated as he’s put everything into the series and a freak injury looks like it may well be the end of the road for him. He’s got a final consultation today and that could be it.
‘He’s already had a number of appointments with doctors and physios to see if there is any way he can get through, but with each day of training he misses the less likely it is.’
MailOnline contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment at the time.
Cosy: Janette was wrapped up in a long camel coat as she stepped out with Will. Her future on the show is also hanging in the balance
Struggling: Janette also suffered an injury during training last week, which meant she did perform with Will during the rehearsals when he suffered the injury
Lovely: Janette was comforted by a fan amid the ongoing doubt surrounding Will’s future on Strictly
Grand entrance: Will was helped out of a parked taxi in his first sighting since the injury last week
What’s happening? The Paralympic gold medallist’s future on Strictly was throw into doubt after he suffered the knee injury
Relaxed: With a suit jacket and shirt in hand, Will cut a casual figure in a brown jumper and black skinny jeans
Will suffered the horrific knee injury last week as he prepared to dance the jive with Janette, and in footage obtained by The Sun, the table tennis champion can be seen screaming in agony after falling to the ground.
In the footage thought to have been filmed on Friday, Will can be seen performing his jive with stand-in pro Nancy Xu, after it was reported that his partner Janette Manrara suffered a minor injury earlier in the week.
As he leaps into the air, Will collapses to the floor in agony, with Janette screaming ‘no no no’ as she runs onto the dancefloor.
Will can be seen turning over before screaming in agony, and it was reported by the publication that he tore a knee ligament.
Ouch: Will suffered the injury last week as he rehearsed for Saturday’s Halloween special, and in footage of the incident he could be heard screaming in pain
During Saturday’s show, the footage of Will’s injury was not shown, and instead viewers saw a glimpse of the star lying on the ground surrounded by crew members, while Will explained the extent of his injuries.
Speaking in the VT he said: ‘I jumped off a table and as I landed I landed with straightened legs. I thought I broke my leg because I never felt anything like it before.’
He added: ‘To hear the words I absolutely can’t dance was just really gutting for me. But I need to recover now and come back even stronger next week.’
Painful: During Saturday’s show the injury itself was not shown, and instead viewers saw the aftermath with Will lying on the floor in pain
Bad: In a VT shown on Saturday, Will admitted he thought he had broken his leg, as bosses confirmed he had been given a bye through to next week
The injury has now sparked claims that he could be forced to pull out of the show completely, following in the footsteps of Jamie Laing who was forced to quit the show last month.
A source also told the publication: ‘The crew rushed to get him medical help. Everyone has their fingers crossed but it looks very bad for Will.’
‘He is just praying for a miracle, and in the meantime wishes all his Strictly pals the very best of luck. Poor Will is absolutely heartbroken.’
The Sun also reported that Will is awaiting the results of a scan to determine his future on the show.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment.
It was then confirmed on Saturday that Will would not be appearing on Strictly, and had been given a bye through to next week.
Tough: It was then reported that Will was close to pulling out of the show completely, but bosses are yet to confirm or deny his future on the show (picture earlier in the series)
In a statement a representative for the BBC show said: ‘Sadly, Will Bayley was injured during training and medics have said he cannot dance in the show this weekend. Under the rules of Strictly Come Dancing, Will has been granted a bye to next week.’
Strictly’s partner Janette took to Instagram to post a sweet tribute after host Tess Daly announced that he would not be taking part in the show.
She wrote: ‘I love you so much @willbayleytt …. I will truly miss dancing the jive w/ you tonight, but let’s hope for the BEST & that you get better ASAP so that we can dance once again next week! #WeGotThisChamp #YourMyLittleFighter #TeamPocketRacket.’
Embattled: Janette appeared on the show on Saturday to share her support for Will, and vowed that they would be back in training as soon as he was well
Will’s injury comes just a week after he left viewers in tears with an emotional contemporary routine, which came after he spoke candidly about being diagnosed with blood cancer when he was just seven years old.
His arthrogryposis affects all four of his limbs and causes multiple curved joints from birth. It generally results in stiff joints and muscle weakness.
Will learnt to play table tennis when his grandmother bought him a table following his cancer diagnosis.
He joined the local club at the age of 12 and went on to represent Kent’s able bodied men’s team before winning the gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic games.
Doing well: Will’s injury comes just a week after he left viewers in tears with an emotional contemporary routine