Strictly’s Janette Manrara has spoken out after a complaint was made by former celeb partner Will Bayley.
The professional dancer, 40, is the latest star to be dragged into the BBC’s ongoing saga. Paralympian Will claimed there was “no duty of care” after he suffered an injury during his time on the show.
In 2019, Janette was paired with Paralympian Will Bailey, 36. The couple got to the sixth week of the competition before having to withdraw after Will suffered life-changing injuries during rehearsals.
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Whilst making the final touches to their performance in the sixth week, Will was set to jump off a table in a stunt. However, in rehearsals this did not go to plan, and Bailey collapsed after completing the jump, later being taken to hospital.
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Janette was accused of telling Will in rehearsals that his jump was “rubbish”, telling him to try and do it again. After this, Will sustained his injuries and required immediate medical attention.
Will said he “didn’t have an issue” with Janette but suggested she had been under pressure. He added: “Ultimately, I think she was under a lot of pressure by the bosses to perform a certain way and I think it was them pushing me that caused the accident.”
(Image: PA)
Janette’s spokesperson has now claimed that Will was always top priority for the dancer. A statement given to The Sun on Monday (July 22) read: “Janette had a great time dancing with Will and one of her favourite moments on the show was doing their contemporary couples choice.
“Her celebrity partner’s safety and enjoyment was always the priority throughout her time on Strictly. Janette has never received any complaints and has maintained friendships with all her partners, including Will.”
It comes after a number of other professionals from the show were put under the microscope for former issues that had been brought up. One former dancer, James Jordan, drew speculation after old footage of him appearing to throw a chair during rehearsals with partner Georgina Bouzova came to light.
(Image: BBC)
James, however, was quick to shut down rumours, taking to his Instagram to explain the footage and deny any claims of misconduct. In a post, the Celebrity Big Brother star said that the clip was recorded for entertainment purposes and due to its release on It Takes Two, it was done in jest – with Georgina in on the act.
Similarly, female professional Nadiya Bychkova was recently forced to deny that she had “complaints” about the BBC show. The Ukrainian dancer was alleged to have had concerns about the show when she joined in 2017, but in a post on her own social media, she refuted all the claims being made.
“There have been lots of Strictly rumours around in the last few days and I just wanted you to know that I have not complained about the programme. I am looking forward to the new series and can’t wait for it to start,” she added.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
