Strictly pro Janette Manrara said my jump was rubbish so I did it again & suffered horrific injury, reveals Will Bayley
STRICTLY star Will Bayley claims a jump for the show was branded “rubbish” in rehearsals by pro partner Janette Manrara — before he severely hurt his leg trying to perform it better.
Paralympian Will Bayley, 36, said he was encouraged to leap from a table despite his concerns and those of his coach.
And after hearing his leg crack and suffering “horrific pain”, he claims he was taken to a hotel room where his knee was iced instead of going to hospital.
He also says bosses made him feel like it was his fault, with his torn knee ligaments forcing him to pull out of the series in 2019.
The table tennis ace has now blasted Strictly bosses over his life-changing injury, following the jump which he claims show producers were told was too dangerous.
He is the latest celeb contestant to raise concerns over the BBC dance programme.
Will, who was born with a debilitating limb condition, claims bosses and professional dancer Janette ignored his fears about the jump.
He had previously met with them to explain he was unable to perform leaps as he has no ankles.
The star has also revealed a number of other incidents left him feeling snubbed by bosses — including being excluded from the show WhatsApp group and claims for further compensation being ignored.
His show injury left him depressed, bed ridden and caused a huge impact on his sports career.
Now Will is adding his complaint to an investigation into the show, claiming a lack of duty of care.
It comes as the BBC struggles with the biggest crisis in the Bafta-winning show’s 20-year history.
Will told The Sun: “Now feels like the right time to speak up. I hope what I went through never happens to anyone else.
“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.
‘No duty of care’
“No one has ever contacted me from the BBC or said sorry.
“There was no duty of care — I should have been taken to hospital as soon as I had the accident, but all they cared about was trying to get me to dance.”
Will, who was awarded an MBE in 2017, managed to get to week six’s Halloween episode and, due to his determination, never found himself in the bottom two.
I think the show thought they were being inclusive by casting me, but I actually felt pressured
Will
He says he was then encouraged to jump from height during his routine.
He recalled: “The plan was for me to jump off a high table. In rehearsal all week, we hadn’t jumped it — I just mimed it.”
Will was hurt during a studio rehearsal with Janette watching from the sidelines as he went through the routine with fellow pro Nancy Xu.
In footage leaked later, Janette can be heard to shriek, “No, no, no” as he falls badly.
Will explained: “A table for me to jump off was brought out and I said, ‘I’m not sure I can land safely’.
“Everyone assured me I would be fine. I didn’t want to do the jump, and my coach said before, ‘He can’t do jumps’.
“We practiced a few times and I was really careful. But then Janette said my jump was ‘rubbish’ and I needed to smile more and go for it and show a bit of passion.
“I was really determined, so I went for it and smiled at the camera. When I landed I just had the most horrific pain. 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.
“They stood me up and felt my knee coming out my socket. There was a paramedic on set and I was taken to a hotel room and given ice. The producers said they would see how it was in the morning.
“I was in agony all night calling my mum. I don’t know why I wasn’t taken to hospital.
“The following morning, I went to the physio room and they strapped my knee up.
“I felt like Strictly didn’t want me to go to hospital at the time. They knew then I definitely wouldn’t be able to dance.
“I had straps on my knees that were trying to hold it in place to see if I could try to dance, but my knee was falling out of the socket.
“They even asked me to try to do some moves. I did one step of dance. I didn’t go to hospital until two days later, where they finally scanned my leg and told me I needed to pull out.
“I’ll never get over that injury — you have it for life. I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts.
‘Felt like it was my fault’
“My knee will always be a problem. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore. I felt like it was my fault. The bosses made me feel like that.
“I’m going to have to live with this forever — and I’ve got kids. A big part of my sport is the turning, twisting and my knee easily swells now when I’m playing table tennis.”
Asked about his relationship with Janette he said: “Ultimately, I think she was under a lot of pressure by the bosses to perform a certain way and I think it was them pushing me that caused the accident.
“She was a passionate teacher and she was part of the decision to do the jump.
“I feel she could have protected me more, but I didn’t have an issue with her. It was mentally hard and I didn’t want to let her down.”
My knee will always be a problem. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore
Will
A source close to Janette insisted she had a “great time” dancing with Will and that they have maintained a friendship since the show.
They added: “One of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice.”
But even before the jump, Will had felt marginalised. He called a meeting with casting director Stefania Aleksander in the first week.
He said: “I was left off the group WhatsApp when the show started. I felt really left out. I asked to be added and Stefania said, ‘Sorry, I totally forgot about you’.
“I was made to feel lucky to be on the show and less important than other celebrities. She had her favourites — like Jamie Laing, who I got on really well with.
“Then I was put right at the back of the group dance and she made a cutting comment that upset me to imply that I couldn’t dance and had an attitude.
“I called a meeting and asked if she had a problem with me and she said no, but for me, it all led to the jump. I wanted to prove myself to her and show all the executives what I could do.”
Will was invited back to the series finale, where his leg was in a brace.
Afterwards he tried to gain compensation for loss of earnings from the BBC, but was denied.
He had surgery in 2020, paid for by the broadcaster, but says he never heard for them afterwards.
Will, who has one Paralympic gold medal and three silvers, said: “In the early months of 2020, I put on three stone and was struggling with depression. I saw a therapist through Paralympics GB.
“It was a horrific time for me and my family. It was a really lonely time. I never knew if I could play table tennis again.
“I was scared about the future, it was awful and I never once heard from anyone at Strictly.”
Will — who has daughters Bella, six, and Grace, three — has been inspired by his family to keep working towards the Paris 2024 Paralympics — especially by mum Chrissie, who runs a beauty salon.
‘Same disability’
He said: “Thank God for my mum. She has the same disability as me. She empathised massively and supported me getting through this.”
Will is due at a training camp in Slovenia this week and heads to Paris to compete next month.
Yesterday, the BBC insisted it has “long-standing protocols for dealing with injuries and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required”.
Lawyers are handling allegations of misconduct towards Strictly contestant actress Amanda Abbington, who claims she suffered PTSD after dancing with pro Giovanni Pernice.
He quit the show in May and denies any wrongdoing. Dance pro Graziano Di Prima has been sacked over a video in which he kicks partner Zara McDermott. He has apologised for his “mistake”.
Dancer-turned-judge Anton Du Beke has also been dragged into the row, after his former dance partner Laila Rouass complained about language he used in 2009. He has also apologised.
The BBC has launched an investigation and there will now be a chaperone “at all times” in training.
