Strictly's Nigel Harman close to tears as he reflects on surprise exit

04 December 2023 , 19:02

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Strictly's Nigel Harman close to tears as he reflects on surprise exit

Nigel Harman was close to tears as he reflected on his shock exit from Strictly Come Dancing this weekend.

The actor - who pulled out of the show after hurting his ribs in a painful rehearsal injury just hours before the latest live show - appeared alongside Katya Jones on It Takes Two tonight, where he got visibly emotional as he spoke about his exit from the programme. He was nearly in tears as he was shown his best bits from the competition.

During the chat, the pair opened up about their surprise early exit from the show. Speaking about his shock departure, he explained how he felt after having to quit the show: "It was very strange waking up this morning and not dancing with you. I didn't know what to do. I'm still in pain and I've been moping around the house. Three days ago we were about to dance we knew was going to be great. I don't feel like I've left yet, but I'm missing people. It feels strange."

Nigel and Katya appeared on It Takes Two tonight (BBC)

Katya added: "I just think we've been so lucky to have had the privilege to watch Nigel on the dancefloor, showing his dancing ability, talent and artistry ... It just felt right every week, we did it together. We brought his own thing to every number. Nigel always made it his own and he brought the magic to every single piece we did ... Every single number was amazing because you brought the sparkle."

Nigel had been accused of being a "bear with a sore head" backstage. However, one Strictly insider told The Mirror: "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."

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Nigel and Katya were forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing (BBC)

Another TV source had previously revealed the backstage crew had difficulties with the Casualty actor when he became frustrated with disappointing scores and comments from the judges. They said: "Nigel takes himself very seriously as a performer and throws himself heart and soul into things. 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 Blackpool dance."

"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. Despite this everyone on the show also felt huge sympathy for Nigel having to leave the competition under such difficult circumstances," they told The Sun.

In Blackpool week, Nigel appeared to be visibly angry after finishing second from bottom on the judges leaderboard with a total score of 31 points out of 40. At the end of the live show, the former EastEnders actor left the stage immediately after filming had ended while the other couples remained on the dance floor.

Speaking on Saturday's show, Nigel explained to viewers and hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman why he had to withdraw from the competition. He said he was "leaping off a rostrum, about to be caught by some very handsome men". Nigel added: "As I flew I was Peter Pan. As I landed I was in A&E. I’ve done something to my rib basically and it’s quite painful."

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Jasmine Allday