Nigel Harman's Strictly injury and those backstage row rumours explained
The Strictly Come Dancing finale will see past contestants return to the show while the voting public wait to discover who will win the Glitterball Trophy crown.
The 2023 competition had a wide range of celebrities taking part - with tennis star Annabel Croft, 57, dancing through the grief of losing her husband, iconic presenter Angela Rippon, 79, wowing fans with her impressive flexibility, and finalist Layton Williams, 29, with his West End training, provoked some disputes among Strictly fans as to whether he was overqualified to compete on the show. One star whose Strictly dream ended early, however, was Nigel Harman - who abruptly quit the show in week 11.
The 50-year-old actor - who was paired with 34-year-old professional dancer Katya Jones - did not walk away without good reason, however, as injury forced him out of the competition. There was added anguish for Nigel the week he left the show - as it was to be Musicals Week, which he had good reason to look forward to.
Looking back over the 2023 season of Strictly ahead of the finale, the Mirror revisits why Nigel Harman quit the show, if he will be back for the finale, and why Musicals week was so important for him.
Nigel Harman and his dance partner Katya Jones were forced out of Strictly 2023 due to injury (BBC)Why did Nigel Harman quit Strictly Come Dancing 2023?
The former EastEnders actor was a fan favourite in the 2023 contest, so viewers were distraught when he suddenly quit hours before the live show in the 11th week of the contest. Appearing in the ballroom, Nigel explained that he had broken a rib during rehearsals - and crushing his Glitterball Trophy dreams.
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With Katya at his side, Nigel explained: “I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men and as I flew, I ‘Peter Panned’ as I landed and I was in A&E. So I’ve done something to my rib, basically and it’s quite painful. I’m a little bit high on painkillers as well, but I’m having a lovely time.”
Both Nigel and Katya became emotional as they featured on the show after they were forced to quit - with Nigel admitting he had been avoiding his dance partner after he was given his diagnosis because he couldn’t face the fact their time in the contest was over. Katya too struggle to fight back tears. She said: “It’s quite hard to talk right now, I’m not going to lie. But I have absolutely loved every moment, creating magic on the dance floor.
“I know the reasons you did this was for your daughter and your parents. Especially missing out on this number, I know your parents would be very, very proud of you. And I hope you got something out of this that you are going to cherish forever. In your broken rib!”
And Nigel had buckets of praise for his dance partner, as he said to her: “Kat, the only reason I’m standing here is because of all the work you’ve put into me. You turn up every day with so many hundreds of great ideas. You challenge me, you push me, you support me. You make me laugh and then you do extraordinary things on the floor with choreography and creativity. But most of all, you’re just part of me now. I can’t look at you.”
Some reports have suggested Nigel was upset by the judges scores in Blackpool (BBC)
The soap actor has taken his training and performing seriously (BBC/Guy Levy)Did Nigel Harman cause a bad atmosphere on Strictly and will he be back for the final?
Following Nigel and Katya’s exit from the BBC show, reports emerged suggesting crew working on the series were “relieved” to see the back of him. It was suggested that Nigel took his dance training and performing incredibly seriously and would be moody if he felt he hadn’t achieved perfection on the dance floor.
A source claimed to The Sun: "Nigel takes himself very seriously as a performer and throws himself heart and soul into things. 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."
“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.”
A BBC spokesperson rubbished the claims, however, and revealed the cast and crew were looking forward to welcoming Nigel back to the show to celebrate at the final. The spokesperson said: "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."
Nigel was devastated to miss out on Musicals Week as he was to dance in memory of his parents (BBC)Why was Musicals Week on Strictly so important to Nigel Harman?
The fact that Nigel was forced to quit ahead of the Musicals themed week was additionally tragic for the actor. His love for acting was introduced to him by his late parents - who took him to watch musicals as a child.
Just a day before he had to quit the show due to injury, Nigel explained on It Takes Two: “It’s Musicals Week as well, which for me, is a great week. I love musicals! We just feel really grateful to be here."
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Sharing more details of his love for musicals, Nigel mentioned that the form of entertainment reminds him of his late parents. The TV star was encouraged into acting by his loving father Derek and mum Maureen Hardman who loved musicals themselves. Maureen tragically died when Nigel was just 18 and Derek sadly lost his life following a battle with leukaemia in 2006.
Reflecting on his parents and their influence on his love for entertainment, Nigel said: “My parents loved musicals and were heavily involved in amateur dramatics in the Croydon area. Their love of it fell onto me and it’s been the same ever since. I’ve never been able to shake it. I just love musicals. I love the singing and dancing and the heightened emotions of it.”
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