Stefan Dennis has been forced to withdraw from Strictly Come Dancing after tearing his calf muscle during training, leaving him unable to continue despite being saved by the public vote. The Neighbours star, who performed his Charleston on painkillers last weekend, revealed he begged producers to let eliminated contestant Chris Robshaw return in his place, but they refused, saying 'once you've gone, you've gone'.
Speaking at the Pride of Britain Awards, Dennis expressed his disappointment: 'I just feel like I've let everyone down. When you go out, you want it to be because the viewers have spoken, not like this.' The 59-year-old, the oldest competitor this year, tore his calf at the end of last week and got through Saturday's show on 'a truck load of painkillers'. He admitted he was unsure how they completed the routine, which earned them 26 points, their highest score.
Dennis's injury means he cannot fly home to his wife Gail Easdale for another two weeks due to the risk of deep vein thrombosis. 'I can't fly for another two weeks because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis which my wife is pretty upset about,' he explained. His withdrawal follows an earlier absence in week three due to vertigo, which he said was resolved with hospital treatment.
His professional partner Dianne Buswell, who is five months pregnant, will now rest ahead of the final stages of her pregnancy. Dennis praised the support from fellow contestants, saying 'Strictly is this huge machine... we all just want each other to do well'. With two exits in two days, only three pairings may reach the live final in December, unless further injuries occur.
