Strictly’s Janette Manrara breaks silence on Will Bayley suffering life-changing injury in rehearsals with her
STRICTLY's Janette Manrara has broken her silence on her celebrity partner Will Bayley's complaint against the BBC.
Paralympian Will, 36, suffered a life-changing injury in rehearsals with the professional dancer.
Janette, who is now a host on the BBC spin-off show It Takes Two, is accused of telling Will his jump was “rubbish” — before he severely hurt his leg trying to perform it better.
A spokesman for Janette told The Sun: "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."
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'No duty of care'
Yesterday, the BBC insisted it has “long-standing protocols for dealing with injuries and that includes contestants receiving all necessary treatment and support as required”.
It's after Will told The Sun on Sunday: “Now feels like the right time to speak up. I hope what I went through never happens to anyone else."
He was hurt during a studio rehearsal with Janette watching from the sidelines as he went through the routine with fellow pro Nancy Xu.
“The plan was for me to jump off a high table. In rehearsal all week, we hadn’t jumped it — I just mimed it," explained Will.
“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."
He added: “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.”
Now Will is adding his complaint to an investigation into the show, claiming a lack of duty of care.
Lawyers are handling allegations of misconduct towards Strictly contestant actress Amanda Abbington, who claims she suffered PTSD after dancing with pro Giovanni Pernice.
He quit the show in May and denies any wrongdoing. Dance pro Graziano Di Prima has been sacked over a video in which he kicks partner Zara McDermott. He has apologised for his “mistake”.
Dancer-turned-judge Anton Du Beke has also been dragged into the row, after his former dance partner Laila Rouass complained about language he used in 2009. He has also apologised.
The BBC has launched an investigation and there will now be a chaperone “at all times” in training.
