STRICTLY Come Dancing fans have been left devastated over Nigel Harman’s shock exit and have called for a recently eliminated couple to replace him.
The Casualty actor, 50, announced just hours before the live show that he was forced to quit due to injury.
He was due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Disney‘s Mary Poppins on tonight’s BBC1 live quarter-finals.
Many fans have flocked to social media to share their despair over Nigel’s sudden exit, while some have demanded that Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu are brought back after they were booted out of the competition last week.
One viewer wrote on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter: “My solution is bring back Angela and Carlos.”
Another posted: “Gutted to see Nigel go but Angela Scanlon should return to fill his space. She went too soon.”
A third said: “Strictly so close to the final its gutting!!”
“Can Angela Scanlon learn a dance in 3 and a half hours please? come back queen,” a fourth added.
The Sun revealed earlier today that Nigel had made the decision to quit the show after an injury.
A source said: “Nigel wasn’t in training this morning, and other dancers were informed later on in the day. 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.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Unfortunately Nigel has sustained a rib injury which means he is unable to perform in tonight’s show and has had to withdraw from Strictly.”
Nigel’s withdrawal means there won’t be an elimination this week, instead the remaining celebs – Ellie Leach, Annabel Croft, Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier – will all make it through to next round.
Last weekend Nigel and Katya performed the steamiest routine of the series writhing around on a bed.
The Russian pro dancer, 34, donned a silk negligee to dance the rhumba to Celine Dion’s power ballad It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.
Nigel planted a kiss on her forehead during the choreography and said: “All the time through our hands we’re communicating and through our bodies, you have to be totally locked on with your partner to do that.
“One of my favourite times of the weeks, is when we stand on the corner of the dancefloor and we hold hands and we walk out there together.”
Their departure is the second shock exit of the series after Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice withdrew from the competition on medical grounds.
