Will Bayley and Janette Manrara performing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021Will Bayley has accused the BBC of offering “no duty of care” when he suffered a debilitating injury during his time on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Paralympic gold medallist competed on Strictly back in 2019, but was forced to leave the competition early when he sustained an injury after jumping off a table during a rehearsal.
Speaking to The Sun about the incident on Monday, Will – who was born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition that affects his limbs – claimed that he’d voiced his concerns that the table used during the move could be too high for him to “land safely” from.
Despite this, he practised the jump “a few times” while taking extra care, but claimed that when professional partner Janette Manrara told him the move looked “rubbish” and that he needed to “go for it”, he followed her advice.
Janette Manrara and Will Bayley in 2021“I was really determined, so I went for it and smiled at the camera,” he said. “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 felt like Strictly didn’t want me to go to hospital at the time,” he continued. “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. My knee will always be a problem.”
Will competing in the Paralympics in 2021, two years after his time on StrictlyWill claimed that Strictly bosses “made me feel” like his injury – for which he underwent surgery in 2020, paid for by the show – was his own fault.
Of his professional partner, Will 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.”
Elsewhere in his interview with The Sun, Will voiced other issues with the show, including feeling ostracised from a group chat put together by producers and feeling “put right at the back” of group routines.
“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 added.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Janette told The Sun that her “celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly”.
Janette Manrara“Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will,” they added.
The BBC also told HuffPost UK: “We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.”
The table tennis pro previously reflected on his early exit during an interview with HuffPost UK in 2021.
“[My main goal on Strictly was] to do the Jive, which is the one I got injured on,” he shared. “It was my favourite dance and it’s what I was looking forward to, so it was disappointing. It was the best week I’d had in terms of training and the most confident with the dance.
“But it happens and I don’t have any regrets. It is what it is and I am looking forward to new challenges. Strictly was a great experience.”
He also praised Janette for being “so supportive” during their partnership.
“She stayed in contact throughout my injury and to now, and that’s really nice. I think we’ll be friends forever,” he said.
“Sometimes because of my disability, she didn’t know what I could or couldn’t do. She was always changing the dances. With the Pokémon dance we did, she literally had to change it hours before because she’d been trying with these couple of steps all week and I couldn’t do it. I think her versatility is why she was put with me, because she can mix it up.”
Will’s public comments come as the BBC is investigating Strictly following complaints from a number of former contestants, including Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott.
The investigation is ongoing, but Strictly has already announced new measures will be implemented during this year’s series, which aim to “strengthen welfare and support” behind the scenes of the reality show.
“Now feels like the right time to speak up. I hope what I went through never happens to anyone else,” Will told The Sun.
