Drag performer La Voix has confessed to having a 'sad day' after being forced to withdraw from the iconic Blackpool Week special on Strictly Come Dancing.
The 45-year-old star, whose real name is Christopher Dennis, sustained a foot injury that has prevented her from competing in the highly anticipated episode of the BBC Saturday night show.
A Disappointing Setback
La Voix took to Instagram on Saturday, just hours before the live broadcast, to share her disappointment. Her spirits were lifted, however, by a surprise bouquet of flowers.
Posting a picture of the floral gift, she wrote: "Thank you so much Darlings @blossom_and_ivy. This really is a gorgeous surprise on an otherwise sad day of not dancing in Blackpool."
A spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing confirmed the news earlier in the week, stating: "Due to injury, La Voix has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance in this weekend's Blackpool special."
The Injury Explained
The performer appeared on the BBC's It Takes Two on Wednesday to explain the situation in more detail. She revealed the problem began during her foxtrot performance.
"This has been ongoing since the foxtrot. I felt a little niggle in my foot hence comments about me being flat-footed. I was thinking this will be fine, but it got gradually worse," she told viewers.
The injury escalated to the point where she had to change her footwear. "Until on Saturday we had to change shoes, I couldn’t wear heels. I had to wear those awful flat shoes," La Voix admitted.
Attempts to rehearse on Monday proved the injury was too severe to continue. "We tried on Monday, and it was really clear I was struggling in pain, so we decided to be professional and call this, hoping with some rest I can be back," she added.
Looking to the Future
Under the rules of Strictly Come Dancing, La Voix and her professional partner will be given a bye and automatically advance to the next round, giving her crucial time to recover.
When asked about her potential return after the Blackpool special, she responded with optimism: "I hope so. Some people have said online that it’s just because I wanted to get out of doing the samba. I was desperate to get to Blackpool and do the samba. The production that was planned is going to be incredible."
Despite the major setback, La Voix emphasised her love for the show, describing Strictly as a "happy place" and expressing her sincere hope that her journey continues.
In an official BBC statement, she said: "My heart truly breaks knowing I won’t be dancing in such an iconic venue. I am devastated not to be joining the rest of the cast on that famous dancefloor, but my focus now is on recovery. I’ll be cheering on all the amazing couples this weekend."
Addressing her followers directly on social media, she acknowledged that she must now "listen to her body" after "it became clear that the injury wasn’t improving."
