Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor has revealed she is suffering from a "really bad" injury after taking a nasty tumble while out running. The 42-year-old, who presents Strictly: It Takes Two, said the painful incident happened after she tripped over a tree root while running through a forest.
Hospital trip after forest fall
Explaining what happened to her co-presenter Sally Boazman, Ellie revealed: "I fell over in the woods Sally, I had to go to hospital for my poorly thumb. It's really bad but the bruising doesn't suggest that."
Asked how she had managed to take such a tumble, she explained: "I went for a run," before clarifying that she had not been jogging in the dark.
"I was in flow state, when you work out and you're really enjoying yourself and sort of not thinking about anything and not looking where I was going and I tripped over a tree root in the middle of the forest," she continued. "I landed on my thumb because I was holding my phone as well."
Return to presenting duties
Despite her injury, Ellie appeared in high spirits as she returned to her BBC Radio 2 presenting duties. She is currently standing in for Emma Willis, who presents Strictly Come Dancing alongside Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
Tonight marks the third live show of the series, with all 14 remaining couples hoping to make it through to another week. Last week, Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden became the first pair to leave the competition after losing a dance-off against Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu.
New presenting line-up defended
This series has seen several changes to the show, with the new presenting line-up attracting particular attention. Emma, Johannes and Josh took over from Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who stepped away from the programme last year.
The shake-up has prompted criticism from some viewers, with questions raised about the decision to have three presenters. Addressing the reaction in an interview with The i Paper, Ellie said: "People don't like change.
"I think they're great. There's such great energy in that room; they're all so pumped to be there. They'll settle into the roles even better than they already have."
She also hit back at the criticism, adding: "Will everyone just chill out? The key bit of Strictly is the dancing. Let's remember that all the fundamentals are there."
Ellie has also taken on a new role on the programme this series, replacing Janette Manrara and Fleur East as a presenter on Strictly: It Takes Two. Enthusing about the opportunity, she said: "It's such a dream gig for me. It's all the things I love and all the things I'm good at."
Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.15pm on BBC One.
