Janette Manrara previously addressed the comments Will Bayley made about his horrific injury on Strictly.
The Paralympian was forced to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 after dancing alongside Janette for six weeks, due to tearing his knee ligaments in rehearsals.
Last year, Will spoke out about how the injury has left him with excruciating pain that he will live with “forever”. Janette then shared her thoughts in an interview…
Will Bayley on his Strictly injury
Paralympian Will – who is on BBC Two’s Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Isles this weekend (October 19) – injured himself while training for Strictly back in 2019. He alleged a table was brought out during rehearsals for him to practise a jump.
Will told how he said: “I’m not sure I can land safely.” However, he claimed “everyone assured me I would be fine”. He ended up tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and had to have reconstructive knee surgery in January 2023.
Will was born with arthrogryposis, which affects all four of his limbs and limits the range of motion in the joints. He was also diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma during childhood.
Will told The Sun in August 2024: “I think the show thought they were being inclusive by casting me, but I actually felt pressured. I have got a serious disability and I don’t think anyone was really looking out for me when I injured myself, leaving me with injuries that still affect me to this day.”
He also recalled the accident, explaining: “I was really determined, so I went for it and smiled at the camera. When I landed I just had the most horrific pain and I still have flashbacks now. I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over. I heard my leg crack, I couldn’t breathe.”
Janette’s response
After Will’s initial comments, a spokesperson for Janette said: “Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary Couple’s Choice. Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly.
“Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.”
Will later appeared on This Morning and insisted he and Janette got on well. He gushed: “Janette was so supportive. We are both so competitive and we wanted to win. She was very professional and is so talented.”
Janette Manrara on ‘hard’ horror injury Will Bayley suffered
Chatting to Closer in September last year, Janette addressed the injury and Will’s comments. She stated: “It was hard for both of us to have to leave the competition in the way that we did.
“Nobody wants to have to leave the competition with an injury, especially when we were doing so well. So of course, he felt frustration, and there were massive repercussions that he had from everything that happened on Strictly.”
The It Takes Two host continued: “When all that came out we spoke directly to each other. We know in our hearts that we were an amazing team and had an incredible time together.”
Read more: Strictly star Vicky Pattison reveals she has a ‘crush’ on show co-star
Watch Pilgrimage on BBC Two Sunday (October 19) at 8pm.
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