Nigel Harman will return to Strictly after BBC crew's 'relief he's gone'

04 December 2023 , 13:34

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Nigel Harman will return to Strictly after BBC crew's 'relief he's gone'

Strictly Come Dancing star Nigel Harman's fate for the show's hotly-anticipate live final has been revealed after he crashed out of the competition over the weekend.

The former EastEnders star, 50, who had been a front-runner and fan favourite to be crowned winner, was forced to quit due to medical reasons. Nigel and his professional dance partner Katya Jones had to bow out of the competition after the actor turned meditation coach injured himself when trying to perform a stunt during rehearsals, resulting in a painful rib injury.

It has now been confirmed he will return to the show after bosses have given him a special role on the show's grand final.

Nigel Harman set to return to Strictly final

The actor's return to the show comes after it emerged that the Strictly cast and crew were "relieved" that he had gone due to his mood swings. But in response a BBC insider told Mailonline: "It is always sad when a contestant leaves the show, particularly when an injury is sustained. Nigel will be well missed by those who have worked alongside him on the show and everyone wishes him the very best and looks forward to seeing him at the final on Saturday 16th December."

Recently, viewers were taken aback after witnessing that Nigel had stormed off the dancefloor after receiving disappointing scores from the judges. Out of 40 points, Nigel and Katya received 31 points, which left him fuming. And a leaked video taken by an audience member showed his temper tantrum.

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And one person who was not impressed by his action was former Strictly professional dancer Brendan Cole. He said: "You’ve got to have humility in this little game of showbusiness and you learn that with age, I didn’t have it as a youngster, but I certainly try to have it now and on a show like Strictly you need to pick your moments. If you need to storm off, do it in private, go and have a tantrum or a sulk in your dressing room but then compose yourself, come back out and be a supporter of everybody else doing the show."

In an interview with Sky Bingo, he added: "I do understand the frustration that he would have felt. I’m pretty sure he would have felt like he’d done a really good number because he doesn’t necessarily know the difference between bad or good at this stage. He doesn’t know the aspects that make a good Quickstep turn into a great Quickstep. "

But the author of the video wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter : "'Are #Strictly judges proud of themselves? Nigel's been broken tonight, couldn't even face the keep dancing once theme & cameras stopped.Taken away someone's love of dance & confidence should not be what show is about."

A source told The Sun: "So obviously he's very emotional if things don't go as he hoped. That often means that he can be like a bear with a sore head backstage. Viewers got a glimpse of that when he received disappointing scores for their quickstep in Blackpool."

They added: "The crew and pros on the show are like a close family and the celebrities are welcomed into that. But if someone upsets that long-standing dynamic it can create bad feeling." Both Katya and Nigel appeared on Saturday's show where he explained his injury. He said: "I was about to be caught by some very handsome men but when I landed, I've done something to my rib. I'm a little high on painkillers."

Asked by host Claudia Winkleman if he had enjoyed his time on the show, Nigel said: 'Oh I've loved it, I've loved it. This hasn't really sunk in. When I was watching everyone coming down the stairs, it was real that I'm not part of it anymore." However, Katya was full of praise for Nigel's hard work and appeared upset that they were no longer part of the competition.

She said: 'I have absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on the dancefloor. I know the reasons he did this were for your daughter and your parents and I know your parents will be very proud of you. I hope you've got something out of this that you will cherish forever in your broken rib." Nigel then replied: 'The only reason I'm standing here is because of all the work you've put in. You challenge me, you push me, you support me. Most of all, you're just part of me now.' Becoming emotional, he added: 'I can't even look at you!"

Lucretia Munro