Will Bayley: No duty of care on Strictly when I suffered ‘life-changing’ injury

The Paralympian has said 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 like it was his fault.

His torn knee ligaments forced him to pull out of the series in 2019 and Bayley said: “I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over.”

The table tennis player is the latest star to speak about his experiences on the show following concerns raised about the treatment of contestants Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott.

Abbington has described professional Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour as “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean”. He denies the claims.

Graziano Di Prima has left the show over allegations about his treatment of Love Island star McDermott.

Bayley told The Sun: “Now feels like the right time to speak up. I hope what I went through never happens to anyone else.

“I think the show thought they were being inclusive by casting me, but I actually felt pressured.

“I have got a serious disability and I don’t think anyone was really looking out for me when I injured myself, leaving me with injuries that still affect me to this day.

“No one has ever contacted me from the BBC or said sorry.

“There was no duty of care — I should have been taken to hospital as soon as I had the accident, but all they cared about was trying to get me to dance.”

Bayley has arthrogryposis, a condition which affects all of his limbs, and was also diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins 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.

He told the paper he was encouraged to jump from height during his routine, despite raising concerns.

He was hurt during a studio rehearsal with professional partner Janette Manrara watching from the sidelines as he went through the routine with fellow professional Nancy Xu.

He said: “The plan was for me to jump off a high table. In rehearsal all week, we hadn’t jumped it — I just mimed it.

“A table for me to jump off was brought out and I said, ‘I’m not sure I can land safely’.

“Everyone assured me I would be fine. I didn’t want to do the jump, and my coach said before, ‘He can’t do jumps’.

“We practised a few times and I was really careful. But then Janette said my jump was rubbish and I needed to smile more and go for it and show a bit of passion.

“I was really determined, so I went for it and smiled at the camera. When I landed I just had the most horrific pain. I still have flashbacks now.

“I was lying on the floor thinking my whole career was over. I heard my leg crack, I couldn’t breathe.

“They stood me up and felt my knee coming out my socket. There was a paramedic on set and I was taken to a hotel room and given ice. The producers said they would see how it was in the morning.

“I was in agony all night calling my mum. I don’t know why I wasn’t taken to hospital.

“The following morning, I went to the physio room and they strapped my knee up.

“I felt like Strictly didn’t want me to go to hospital at the time. They knew then I definitely wouldn’t be able to dance.

“I had straps on my knees that were trying to hold it in place to see if I could try to dance, but my knee was falling out of the socket.

“They even asked me to try to do some moves. I did one step of dance. I didn’t go to hospital until two days later, where they finally scanned my leg and told me I needed to pull out.

“I’ll never get over that injury — you have it for life. I’ve already got a limiting disability but this on top of it. I wake up in the morning and it hurts.

“My knee will always be a problem. I can now only train for a couple hours before it’s sore. I felt like it was my fault. The bosses made me feel like that.

“I’m going to have to live with this forever – and I’ve got kids. A big part of my sport is the turning, twisting and my knee easily swells now when I’m playing table tennis.”

Asked about his relationship with Manrara he said: “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.

“She was a passionate teacher and she was part of the decision to do the jump.

“I feel she could have protected me more, but I didn’t have an issue with her. It was mentally hard and I didn’t want to let her down.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We have longstanding protocols for dealing with injuries if they occur and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required.”

Representatives for Strictly and Manrara have been contacted for comment.