Delta Goodrem has been forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing's Icons Week after sustaining an injury. The 41-year-old singer, who topped the leaderboard last weekend, was set to portray Olivia Newton-John as her Icon on Saturday 17 but has had to withdraw.
Statement from Delta Goodrem
In a statement on Strictly's official Instagram, Goodrem said: "I'm absolutely gutted that a rib injury means I won't be able to dance on Strictly this week. I've been loving every second of this experience, so having to sit this out is heartbreaking- especially after the height of Saturday night."
She added: "I can not tell you how much I love being a part of this magical show. I'm going to focus on resting and recovering, and hopefully, I'll be back on that dancefloor very soon. Thank you so much to everyone for all the love and support. It's so appreciated. I'll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines this week. Sending all my love, Delta xx."
Support from fellow contestants
Support quickly came from those on the BBC show, with Dani Dyer commenting: "Sending you so much love, Delta, and healing energy. We will see you soon." Lauren Oakley said, "Get well soon, can't wait to have you back," and Alexis Warr added, "Hope you recover well and quickly, can't wait to see you back on the floor shining."
Last weekend's results
Last weekend, Delta's Salsa earned her a score of 33, placing her at the top of the leaderboard, with Tabby Stoecker and Cach Mercer close behind on 31. At the bottom were Melanie Waltz and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who faced the dance-off. The judges saved Shaun, ending Melanie's time in the competition.
Speaking about their exit, Melanie said: "To tell you the truth, no word of a lie, I thought I was going to be out last week, so I've had an extra week with this beautiful soul." Aljaz added: "It's difficult to put into words, and if I was ever going to say something really profound and beautiful, it wasn't going to be looking like this. Look, you're an ultimate professional in what you do; that's why you're so successful at what you do."
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturdays on BBC One from 6:15pm.
