NIGEL HARMAN left Strictly Come Dancing fans devastated when it was confirmed that he had quit the series just hours before the quarter-finals.
The Casualty and EastEnders actor had once been tipped to win the 2023 series but he and partner Katya Jones were forced to bow out of the competition at the start of December 2023, just weeks before the grand finale.
Why has Nigel Harman quit Strictly?
Nigel Harman was forced to quit the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing due to an injury.
The news was confirmed on Saturday, December 2, just hours before the BBC show's quarter-finals.
Harman and his partner Katya were due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Disney's Mary Poppins.
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The routine would have followed their rhumba from the week before, which they performed to Celine Dion's power ballad It's All Coming Back To Me Now.
After his exit was confirmed, it was reported that there would be no elimination on December 2.
This meant that the remaining celebrity contestants - Ellie Leach, Annabel Croft, Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier - would all be safe and go through to the following week.
Shortly after Strictly returned to screens in September, Nigel and Katya were touted as the favourites to win the series.
The pair won over viewers with their impressive routines over the weeks, and received consistently good scores from the judges.
What has Nigel Harman said?
Nigel is yet to comment on his Strictly exit but he did repost the BBC's official statement about the situation on his Instagram story.
The broadcasting service's statement read: "Unfortunately Nigel has sustained an injury which means he is unable to perform in tonight's show and has had to withdraw from Strictly."
The post, which Nigel promptly added to his own story on the social media site, also featured a caption which said: "Unfortunately, Nigel and Katya Jones have had to withdraw from the competition.
"We wish Nigel a speedy recovery and they both will be very much missed by our entire Strictly family."
Speaking about Harman's shock departure from the show, a source told The Sun: "Nigel wasn't in training this morning, and other dancers were informed later on in the day.
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"He and Katya were really disappointed as they were hoping to stay in the competition.
"They hadn't been in the bottom two so had a real chance of making it to the finals.
"Nigel has been training really hard and really threw himself into rehearsals."
Who is Nigel's dance partner Katya Jones?
Katya is a dancer who has been a part of the Strictly cast since 2016.
She was born on May 12, 1989, in Leningrad, Russia.
For her first series of Strictly, Jones was paired with politician Ed Balls who was the ninth celebrity eliminated that year.
The next year, she and actor Joe McFadden took home the Glitterball Trophy.
Katya has had to drop out of Strictly several times in the past.
In 2020 she and Nicola Adams, who were the show's first same-sex pairing, were forced to leave the competition after Jones tested positive for Covid-19.
Then, in 2022, her partner Tony Adams suffered a hamstring injury which led to their early exit.
Katya was married to dancer and Strictly co-star Neil Jones from 2013 to 2019.
In a 2020 interview with The Sun, Neil revealed how he and Katya battled to save their relationship after she was caught kissing comic Seann Walsh, her celebrity dance partner on the 2018 series of Strictly.
Katya has since been linked to property mogul and footballer William Abbotts but in October 2023 it was reported that they had split.
