Strictly Come Dancing star Stefan Dennis should be returning to the show this weekend – but his wife Gail has thrown doubt over his future on the programme.
Stefan, 66, had been due to perform with his pro partner, fellow Australian Dianne Buswell, on Saturday night’s Movie Week instalment.
But just 24 hours before the show was due to kick off, Strictly bosses confirmed Stefan had pulled out. It was revealed the Neighbours legend had been given a free pass to Week 4 after falling ill.
Stefan has not been on social media since and now viewers fear he may never return to the BBC competition following a concerning message from his wife.
Strictly Come Dancing: Is Stefan Dennis returning to the show?
Gail, who is British but lives Down Under, has shared a black and white photo of herself and Stefan on Instagram. She captioned it: “Get better soon, darling. Wish I was there to pamper you.”
But alongside it, Gail told fans she had received a “frantic call” to say Stefan was unwell. The actress also appeared to imply Stefan had been rushed to hospital last week.
Gail wrote: “A year ago, almost to the day, I got a frantic call from @neighbours , saying that Stefan was being rushed to emergency. Then this week … a frantic call came again.
“Thankfully he will be ok but I know he will be so sad and extremely disappointed that he can’t perform this week on @bbcstrictly .. but believe me these two moments have been the only things that have kept him from going to work!
“He is such a super trouper. So please rest up darling, your body is shouting at you again. Make sure you listen!”
Stefan has since replied, writing: “I promise I’ll listen. There’s a first time for everything.” Dianne Buswell, meanwhile, added three red heart emojis.
View this post on Instagram
What happened to Stefan Dennis?
The news of Stefan’s absence from Strictly came as a shock to fans on Friday night. At 5pm, the BBC confirmed he would not be appearing in the Movie Week shows.
A statement said: “Due to illness over the past few days, Stefan Denis has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, he will not dance this weekend. In line with the rules of Strictly, Stefan and Dianne will receive a bye through to next week when they will hopefully be able to dance again.”
The message was shared to Stefan’s Instagram account. Strictly: It Takes Two host, Janette Manrara, also read it out on Friday evening’s show.
Stefan had been due to perform a Waltz with Dianne on Saturday night. Dressed as Shrek they were due to dance to It Is You (I Have Loved) from the movie. Dianne did feature on the show in the Clauditorium, although Stefan was noticeably absent.
Stefan’s fellow celebrities have since returned to training as their prepare for next weekend. But while some have been sharing clips of their dancing sessions online, including Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola, Stefan and Dianne have not.
ED! has contacted the BBC for comment.
Read more: Strictly pro predicts judging shake-up following Cynthia Erivo’s appearance on show
