Nigel Harman, the former EastEnders star, is set to return for the Strictly Come Dancing final this Saturday, but he won't be dancing due to a previous injury.
The 50 year old actor had to leave the competition early after suffering a nasty injury, but fans will be thrilled to see him reunite with his professional partner Katya Jones.
The BBC confirmed to the Mirror that Amanda Abbington won't be returning after she left the show in October.
A spokesperson told the Mirror: "Nigel Harman will be returning for the final of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday 16th December, he will be featured in the show alongside other 2023 cast members. He had to leave the competition early due to sustaining an injury, therefore will not be performing in the final."
After Nigel's sudden exit, a source told The Sun that it had reportedly left staff "relieved" as the former Casualty star would allegedly have "mood swings" causing bad feelings amongst the staff backstage, prior to his withdrawal from the competition.
A Strictly insider told the publication the actor "takes himself very seriously" as a performer and throws himself into his routines fully. "That often means that he can be like a bear with a sore head backstage," the source claimed.
They went on to add: "Viewers got a glimpse of that when he received disappointing scores for their quickstep in Blackpool. The crew and pros on the show are like a close family and the celebrities are welcomed into that. But if someone upsets that long-standing dynamic it can create bad feeling".
Following the news of his exit, Nigel appeared on the show with Katya and revealed he ended up in hospital after sustaining his rib injury while practising a jump for his planned routine just hours before the quarter-final.
Speaking with host Claudia Winkleman, the actor recalled: "I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men and as I flew, I was Peter Pan and as I landed, I was in A&E.
"I've done something to my rib basically and it's quite painful. I'm a little bit high on painkillers as well, but I'm having a lovely time."
Nigel continued to tell viewers he'd "loved" his time as a Strictly star, adding: "This really hasn't sunk in. When I watched everyone come down the stairs, I was a bit like, 'Oh, this is real, I'm not a part of this anymore'."
Katya also shared her feelings about her partner's departure, admitting: "It's quite hard to talk about it, I'm not going to lie. I've absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on a dance floor. I hope you got something out of this that you're going to cherish forever."
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