Delta Goodrem is expected to return to Strictly Come Dancing next week despite being forced to sit out Icons Week with a rib injury, with sources saying she will “push through the pain” if she has to. The Australian singer, 41, topped the leaderboard with professional partner Kai Widdrington on Saturday, scoring 33 points for her salsa, but was advised by doctors to rest after suffering from painful ribs.
Injury forces Delta to take a week off
Delta showed no sign of injury on Saturday night, but by Sunday her ribs were so painful she went to A&E to get them checked. On Monday night’s It Takes Two, she announced she needed time off on doctors’ orders to allow the injury to heal. Some fans feared this meant she was pulling out altogether, but insiders say that is unlikely.
One source told the Mirror that show bosses were “desperate to keep her in the competition” because she has been “lighting up the dancefloor every week.” The source added: “Delta is doing the sensible thing by taking time out now so that this doesn’t get any worse. It’s clearly been very painful for her - both literally and figuratively - but all the signs are that she will come through this. She'll push through the pain if she has to.”
Judges praise Delta’s salsa performance
On Saturday, the judges gave no indication they were aware Delta was dancing in pain. After her salsa to DISCO, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas were on their feet. Head judge Shirley declared she was a clear contender for the final in December, saying: “That was absolutely great - you trust yourself, you trust your partner, your awareness skills are exceptional! Keep it up, I think you're gonna go all the way.” Anton Du Beke told Delta: “You're setting a very, very high bar,” while Craig Revel Horwood gave a one-word critique: “A-MA-ZING.”
Rib injuries have caused problems for celebrities in the past. In 2023, Nigel Harman pulled out of the competition with a rib injury, and last year Alex Kingston had to alter her Blackpool dance after one of her ribs “popped out of its placement” during a lift in training.
Delta and Kai’s strong start to the series
Delta and Kai, 31, have topped the leaderboard for the past two weeks, scoring 30 points for their American Smooth in week two, which was Movie Week. In the series opener, they danced last and scored 29 points for their samba, finishing second to John Nellis and Katya Jones.
Announcing Delta would be missing Icons Week and getting a “bye” through to next week, a BBC spokesman explained: “Due to injury, Delta Goodrem has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance on this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing.” The statement said it was “hoped” she and Kai would return to dance again.
Delta vows to focus on recovery
Delta also issued a statement in which she said she was “absolutely gutted” to find herself in this position because of a rib injury. “I’ve been loving every second of this experience, so having to sit this one out is heartbreaking - especially after the high of Saturday night,” she explained. “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 dance floor very soon.” She thanked fans for all the support they had given her so far.
Some viewers have complained that Delta’s natural ability on the dance floor makes her “too good,” but the singer has had no formal training. She has explained that she attended dance classes as a child, but that dancing hadn’t been part of the performance side of her career. “My music doesn't sit in the space where I do a lot of choreography,” she told Strictly presenter Emma Willis. “I don't do a lot of dancing, and I don't think people associate me with dance. I've never done ballroom. I didn't even know there was a difference between Latin and ballroom until yesterday.”
