Strictly Come Dancing contestant La Voix has been forced to pull out of the iconic Blackpool Week following a devastating foot injury, with former professional dancer James Jordan revealing a clue that foreshadowed this outcome.
The Injury and Withdrawal
The BBC confirmed in a statement that La Voix, who is making history as the first Drag Queen on the main show, has been advised to rest and will not perform in the next live show. The performer and partner Aljaž Skorjanec have been given a bye through to the following week.
La Voix expressed her devastation, stating: "Due to an injury, I’ve been advised that I’m unable to perform, and my heart truly breaks knowing I won’t be dancing in such an iconic venue." She confirmed the injury is a bone bruise located where her toe joint meets her foot, suffered from wearing heels. She warned that continuing could develop it into a stress fracture, requiring six to eight weeks of recovery.
The performer is currently icing, elevating, and resting the foot but remains uncertain about returning for the rest of the series.
The Tell-Tale Sign
Former Strictly pro James Jordan, who starred on the show between 2006 and 2013, has pointed to a significant clue from La Voix's previous performance. In an exclusive interview with Reach PLC on behalf of Freebets, Jordan revealed he noticed she was wearing flat shoes during their Couple's Choice routine last week.
"I saw last week that she was wearing flats in the dance. So clearly she had an issue with her ankle or something like that," Jordan surmised. "They’ve pulled out of this week, and the whole VT was about them getting to Blackpool. I know how much they were excited about going there."
The Rules Debate
While expressing sympathy for the couple, Jordan used the situation to call for more clarity in the competition's rules regarding injuries and byes.
"In my opinion... it’s still a competition at the end of the day, there needs to be more clarity on what the rules are," he stated. Jordan suggested that a clearer rule might be that if a contestant cannot dance one week, they are out of the competition, with no elimination that week to keep the numbers consistent.
La Voix had previously explained on It Takes Two that the foot issue began during Foxtrot week and gradually worsened, leading to the necessity of flat shoes and ultimately the withdrawal from Blackpool Week. Her future in the competition remains dependent on medical advice.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays at 6.35pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
