Janette Manrara pays tribute to 'champion' Will Bayley following Strictly exit
Will has quit the show due to injury
After suffering a painful knee injury during training last week, Paralympian Will Bayley last night revealed that he's been forced to quit this year's Strictly Come Dancing, with the injury expected to take up to six months to heal.
Announcing the news on It Takes Two, an emotional Will revealed how gutted he is to leave the show alongside professional dancer Janette Manrara, before releasing a statement online.
Now, Will's dance-partner Janette has paid tribute to the athlete, calling him a 'champion' in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Sharing a snap of the pair with Will holding up a replica of the famous Glitterball Trophy, Janette wrote, 'I had to post this photo again because it represents everything that I feel right now. @willbayleytt will always be my champion!
'He came on this show to share a very special message & every single week through his hard work & determination he did exactly that. In my eyes, that is truly winning! You inspired so many & most of all me! Thank you for being so incredible every week & giving your absolute EVERYTHING!'
He added, 'I’m sending all the positive energy your way now for a speedy recovery. And a HUGE thank you to everyone that has supported us & sent such lovely messages! I love you Will, & forever and always..... #WeGotThisChamp ❤'. sic
Check out which celebs found love on Strictly Come Dancing:
Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole
On the first ever series of Strictly back in 2001, news reader Natasha Kaplinsky and professional dancer Brendan Cole were paired together.
Despite both being in other relationships at the time, both Natasha and Brendan called off their romances and started dating after the series finished.
Their relationship didn't last long though, and they are now both happily married to other people.
Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna
It was love at first sight for former Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian and her Strictly partner Brian Fortuna in 2009.
With the pair both single at the time, Ali and Brian started a relationship, only for it to end the following year.
Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
When boxer Joe Calzaghe appeared on the show in 2009, he announced to the press that his relationship with his partner Jo-Emma Larvin had come to an end, just one week into his Strictly journey.
Joe's professional dance partner Kristina Rihanoff was more than a shoulder to cry on, with the pair starting a romance. They went on to date for four years after show, before announcing their split.
Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff
After her relationship with Joe Calzaghe fell apart, Kristina later met another Strictly contestant, England rugby ace Ben Cohen.
Both Ben and Kristina have denied rumours that Ben was still with his ex-wife Abby Blayney at the time they started dating, with the pair claiming they didn't get together until a year later.
Things are going well however, the pair now share a daughter together called Milena and are in a happy relationship.
Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev
After her split from Joe Swash, actress Kara Tointon appeared on the 2010 series of Strictly and mended her broken heart with a little help from professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.
Despite this, things didn't work out for the couple.
Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
When Countdown presenter Rachel Riley appeared on Strictly in 2013 she was married to her ex-husband Jamie Gilbert. However, after just 16 months of marriage, the pair announced they were set for divorce in November 2013.
Fast-forward to 2016 and Rachel revealed she was in a relationship with her 2013 Strictly partner Pasha Kovalev... And the pair welcomed a baby in 2019, with another arriving in 2021.
Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice
Georgia May Foote was dating her Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward when she joined the show in 2015. But when rumours circulated that the couple's relationship wasn't going well, they split in December 2015.
Georgia was then spotted getting very cosy with her Strictly partner Giovanni, with the pair enjoying a holiday to Disneyland Paris for New Year.
Despite this, the couple ended their relationship in August 2016.
Dianne Buswell and Joe Sugg
After weeks of rumours, Joe Sugg appeared to confirm his relationship with Strictly Come Dancing partner Dianne Buswell with a photo on Instagram, the caption read, 'I may not have won the glitter ball, but I've won something a million times more special.'
The pair have been loved-up ever since!
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez
Radio presenter Gemma Atkinson and professional dancer Gorka Marquez were first linked in the 2017 series, and got together whilst on the 2018 annual tour together. They moved in together in December 2018 and welcomed their daughter Mia in summer 2019. The couple then announced their engagement at the start of 2021.
In 2023, Gemma and Gorka then welcomed their second child, a baby boy called Thiago!
Giovanni Pernice and Ashley Roberts
Professional dancer Giovanni Pernice and Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts were forced to deny they were dating during the 2018 series, but Giovanni confirmed the relationship in January 2019.
However, just one year later in January 2020, Giovanni confirmed the pair had split.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
Despite taking a long time to confirm their romance, Stacey and Kevin now seem very happy together, with Kevin announcing back in March 2021 that he'd quit the show.
Despite the couple keeping their relationship more or less private, the couple did confirm in August 2022 that they are expecting their first child together, with Stacey giving birth to baby Minnie in January 2023.
Max George and Maisie Smith
Despite both taking part in the 2020 series of Strictly, The Wanted singer Max George and former EastEnders actress Maisie Smith didn't actually start dating until mid-2022.
After weeks of rumours about a romance, the pair went Instagram official in September 2022, sharing gushy posts about each other. They've since been smitten.
Tyler West and Molly Rainford
Strictly 2022 contestants Tyler West and Molly Rainford confirmed they were dating in March 2023, after growing close during the live tour. The pair confirmed they were dating during a TikTok video, leaving fans buzzing, and they've not looked back!
After realising he wasn't going to be fit enough to perform this weekend, Will released an emotional statement last night (Wednesday 30th), confirming the sad news.
He said,“I’m gutted my Strictly journey has had to come to an end. I’ve loved being part of the show, and am so grateful for the phenomenal support we have received.
"I want to say a special thank you to Janette for believing in me, and giving me the confidence to believe in myself.
"The things we achieved, from our couple’s choice dance, through to the lifts in our salsa, will stay with me forever. I’ve had the time of my life."
Meanwhile, Will isn't the only person to pick up an injury. Professional dancer Neil Jones' Strictly future is also in doubt as he tries to recover from a calf injury which made him miss last weekend's show with Alex Scott.
We wish both Will and Neil speedy recoveries! 🙌
Check out all of the song and dances choices for this week's Strictly Come Dancing.
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