Janette Manrara has shared details about the message she sent to her former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Will Bayley, following his recent allegations about his experience on the show amid its ongoing scandal.
The Paralympian participated in the BBC dance competition in 2019 but had to withdraw after six weeks due to a knee ligament injury sustained during rehearsals.
Bayley claimed the injury occurred when his professional partner, Manrara, asked him to redo a jump after a “rubbish” attempt, leaving him with ongoing, excruciating pain.
In light of the sports star’s comments, It Takes Two presenter Manrara has now disclosed the content of the messages exchanged between them in response to his allegations.
“I messaged him [Will] because we are really good friends. He immediately said: ‘I’m so sorry, it’s not meant to look like that. I don’t want you to feel like it’s you,’” said Manrara.
The ballroom star said she responded with a simple two-word message: “It’s OK.”
She told The Sun: “I enjoyed dancing with him so much. It’s the only time I’ve actually ever cried on Strictly, when we did our Couple’s Choice. It was a dedication to Great Ormond Street Hospital.”
The beloved dance competition, once celebrated for its wholesome atmosphere, has recently found itself in controversy. Two professional dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, have been dismissed from the show due to inappropriate behavior during training sessions.
When asked if she was shocked to hear of the allegations emerging, Manrara stated: “Yes and no. I was shocked, because you just never want to hear that.“But it is a dance show, it gets physical and it is a competition. There is intensity that sometimes happens in the rehearsal rooms. Everybody wants to do their best. Every professional pushes themselves, but it should always be in a positive way.”
Last month, Bayley said he was made to feel he was “making a mountain out of a molehill” when he contacted the BBC about the life-changing injury he suffered during Strictly Come Dancing.
He claimed producers were told the jump from a table during a routine was too dangerous, but he was encouraged to do it anyway, and after he was injured show bosses made him feel as though it was his fault.
Bayley has arthrogryposis, a condition which affects all of his limbs, and was also diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during childhood.
He underwent reconstructive knee surgery in January last year after he was forced to withdraw from series 17 of the popular programme in week seven after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Reflecting on the experience, he told BBC Breakfast: “Lessons can be learned, but I’m called being woke if I say something like that, or controversial, which is unbelievable, really.
“But I just think that’s not really a difficult thing to ask, I think it should be a priority. If the BBC are brilliant enough to get people with disabilities in, they have to really support those people, make sure that they’re safe.
“And it’s not like I’ve brought this up now, I’ve brought this up in writing as well, and I’ve brought this up many times… It’s just because the other stories have come out that mine has actually got listened to, but I have brought it up before.
“If someone gets an injury like mine, it will affect them for the rest of their life. I’ll never get over this knee injury, I have to deal with that. I just want to make a positive impact. If people listen, and try and take on board what I’m saying, it’s to try to get positive out of it rather than just be complaining for complaining’s sake.”
Bayley said he had a positive experience with Manrara, but added that professionals could do with additional support when training contestants with disabilities.
