Nick Knowles' two injuries on Strictly and other stars injured on BBC show

Strictly Come Dancing isn't all glitter, fake tan and fun. Over 20 years, celebrities and pro dancers have suffered serious injuries from the gruelling training sessions required to dazzle on the dancefloor.

As the Strictly scandal continues to rumble on BBC bosses have announced changes to its duty of care policy to help protect celebrity contestants. But physical injury has also been a risk to the stars over the past 20 years. Nick Knowles is the latest to be hurt, with his future on Strictly hanging in the balance after he hurt his knee during the current series.

Strictly is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and there have been numerous injuries, from sprained wrists, to torn ankle ligaments and even ripped mastectomy scars.

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

Here is a catalogue of ailments suffered by Strictly stars over the past 20 years.

Nick Knowles (Series 22)

DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles' first injury was nothing to do with dancing, and luckily didn't derail him in the competition.

The star told fans on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two that he had hurt his arm changing a tyre, having stopped when his car broke down on the way to his 62nd birthday party. He wrenched his arm but thankfully was able to continue in the competition.

However, not long afterwards, Knowles had to pull out of Movie Week after sustaining a leg injury.

Knowles and his pro partner Luba Mushtuk had been rehearsing the very last step of their dance, a Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2, when it happened. “I was late getting to where I should and I leapt to the position and my one leg stayed still and the rest of me went through so, a bit of a collapse and realised it wasn't in a good condition,” he said on It Takes Two.

The star was given a bye through to the following week and worked with physios and doctors as he waited to see if his leg would improve. He has shared with fans that the final decision about dancing on Saturday (12 October) will be taken the day before, on Friday.

“I’m getting sick and tired of my injures - everybody else must be getting fed up with it as well!” he quipped.

Nigel Harman (Series 21)

Actor Nigel Harman pulled out of the show in 2023 just hours before the quarter final. The Casualty and EastEnders star had been favourite to win, but broke a rib while training with pro partner Katya Jones and was rushed to hospital.

Harman explained at the time: “I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men and as I flew, I ‘Peter Panned’ as I landed and I was in A&E. So 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.”

Zara McDermott (Series 21)

Love Island star Zara McDermott has become the centre of the Strictly scandal after pro partner Graziano Di Prima quit the show having admitted kicking McDermott during training. Now The Sun newspaper has reported that McDermott performed on the show with a broken leg. McDermott was allegedly suffering severe pain in her leg and taking painkillers to get her through training. She reportedly went to hospital and after an X-ray was diagnosed with ligament damage and a stress fracture on her left tibia. But she went ahead with performing a Charleston in Halloween Week.

A spokesman for Di Prima told Yahoo UK: “Graziano is currently under medical supervision, with the stress of the situation causing significant concern for his family, who are monitoring him hourly. The unrelenting feeding frenzy over these accusations and his mental state leaves him at this time unable to defend himself."

During the show McDermott revealed she had injured her big toe in the very first week of rehearsals. Alongside the image of her toe, she joked on Instagram: "I put this on my close friends but tbh I think the world needs to see this. Half my toe has come off tbh."

Yahoo has contacted representatives for McDermott and the BBC for comment.

Jody Cundy (Series 21)

Paralympian Jody Cundy contracted a serious infection in his leg while learning the Viennese Waltz with Jowita Przystal. The infection was caused by a build up of sweat between his body and prosthetic leg leaving him unable to wear the prosthetic for a while.

Detailing the injury, he said: "When it was bad, and I couldn’t put my leg on, there was worries that I probably wouldn’t be able to dance or whatever, and wasn’t really sure where we went from there."

Nancy Xu (Series 21)

During the first live show, professional dancer Nancy Xu's ear was injured - with blood dripping down her neck while she and partner Les Dennis received feedback from the judges after their first dance. It turned out there had been an issue with her earring and initially Xu hadn't noticed. She said on It Takes Two: "I didn’t even feel it!"

Tony Adams (Series 20)

Tony Adams suffered a torn hamstring caused by his energetic dancing on the live show, which forced him to quit the competition. The former footballer made it as far as the way to week eight of Strictly 2022 with Katya Jones.

But Adams withdrew from the competition just minutes before he was due to compete dance off against Tyler West and Dianne Buswell, saying he had been injured during his Jive performance.

AJ Odudu (Series 19)

TV presenter AJ Odudu demonstrated incredible dance skills, scoring an incredible 34 for her Jive in her very first performance of the show. She and Kai Widdrington made it all the way to he final and the judges thought she could have gone pro if she'd started younger.

But Odudu was forced to quit the competition after she tore a ligament in her right ankle just days before the final. Odudu appeared on the sidelines of the final show, wearing a support boot. Shw wept: "I don't know how to describe what it feels like to have a broken heart, but that's what it feels like."

Robert Webb (Series 19)

Peep Show star Robert Webb had to pull out of the show in week two on medical grounds after experiencing symptoms that indicated risks to his heart. The 51-year-old comedian, who was paired with Dianne Buswell, said: "Two years ago I had open heart surgery and although I believed I was fit enough to take on Strictly and its demanding schedule, it became clear that I had bitten off way more than I could chew for this stage in my recovery. I had begun to feel symptoms that led me to seek an urgent consultation with my heart specialist, and it was her view that it would be better for the sake of my health to step back from the show."

Max George (Series 18)

Boyband singer Max George had a previous injury to his wrist when he took part in Strictly in 2020, having sprained it at the gym. But following rehearsal sessions with pro partner Dianne Buswell The Wanted star was suffering pain in his wrist and had to return to hospital to have it scanned. George was seen wearing a wrist support during training.

Jamie Laing (Series 17)

Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing was originally due to partner Oti Mabuse in 2019, but injured his foot so badly during the launch show that he had to leave before the first live show even aired. However, he was allowed to return for the 2020 series, where he made the final with new partner Karen Hauer.

Will Bayley (Series 17)

After he tore his knee ligaments during rehearsals, Paralympic table tennis player Will Bayley made the decision to quit Strictly so as not to jeopardise his chances of competing in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Bayley has said in an interview in 2024 the injury occurred after his professional partner Janette Manrara called his jump attempt "rubbish" and made him do it again.

Bayley was born with arthrogryposis, which causes curvature of the joints, and meant he could not bend his knees while performing the dance move. A spokesman for Manrara said: "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."

Simon Rimmer (Series 15)

Sunday Brunch star Simon Rimmer was performing the Charleston with partner Karen Hauer in a bid to stay on the show after landing in the dance off in week 5. But the chef took a tumble while running to the side of the stage and injured his thigh.

He said afterwards: "My leg is killing me." Rimmer appeared on spin-off show It Takes Two with a bandage on his leg, and said: "So that is from the slip, basically, I've got a bit of pain in my quad and my lovely physio Doug has strapped me up to keep the muscle in place to hopefully heal it and sort itself out." He was voted off a week later.

Anastacia (Series 14)

Anastacia took part on the show in 2016, having successfully beaten breast cancer twice. The I'm Outta Love singer had under a double mastectomy in 2013. The US singer and her partner Brendan Cole forced to pull out of the very first dance-off of the series against DJ Melvin Odoom after Anastacia ripped her mastectomy scars. This led to Odoom leaving the show first, with no dance off.

Anastacia said: "I danced on Saturday even though the doctor had advised me to rest after I ripped the scar tissue around where I had my double mastectomy. After that, I was unable to dance again and I was devastated that I couldn't take part in the dance-off. I am so very sad to see Melvin and Janette go, they are the most the most wonderful pair and I will miss Melvin's unique spirit and beautiful smile."

Laura Whitmore (Series 14)

Former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore missed performing in week five of the series due to an ankle injury. The Irish TV star was paired with Giovanni Pernice and was checked by a doctor after hurting her ankle in rehearsals. A statement at the time said: "Laura Whitmore will not perform on tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing due to an ankle injury sustained earlier in the week. She has been checked by a doctor and the medical team on site and they have advised that she rests her ankle and does not dance this weekend."

Whitmore said on social media: "We all train really hard. All of us dancing have aches and pains and I didn’t realise the severity of my injury until it was too late. I’m sorry to let you all down. My priority is to follow the doctor’s instructions to get myself on my feet again without permanent damage and do the thing I love the most, dancing!"

Patrick Robinson (Series 11)

Patrick Robinson sprained his wrist rehearing a lift for his Salsa with partner Anya Garnis in week five. The Casualty actor exclaimed on social media "Owwwww! My hand is not good... Might be out of competition."

But Robinson bravely went ahead with his performance that week, sporting a bandage on his injured wrist, and even managed to lift Garnis. The late Stritcly head judge Len Goodman joked: "You should feel right at home, what with your wrist and being in Casualty. Patrick, you did a really good job under the terrible circumstances."

Denise Van Outen (Series 10)

Denise Van Outen said it was "touch and go" whether she would be able to dance her Jive with partner James Jordan in Week Two after a physiotherapist diagnosed her with whiplash, suffered in rehearsal. She later revealed it emerged she had dislodged a disc in her spine, which required surgery and almost left her paralysed. Van Outen told The Daily Star in 2023: "I was told that if the disc had gone into my spinal cord slightly more, I would have been paralysed from the neck down."

At the time however, Van Outen danced through the pain and made it all te way to the final, finishing runner-up.

Artem Chigvinstev (Series 9)

Former pro dancer Artem Chigvinstev won the show with Kara Tointon in 2010 and a year later made it to the semi-final with Holly Valance. But Chigvinstev revealed just how dangerous dancing can be when he took a week out during Series nine and Brendan Cole stepped in to dance the rumba with Valance in week seven.

Chigvinstev revealed he had injured his spine. A statement at the time said: "Artem was initially diagnosed with a transverse process fracture of the lumbar spine However, the latest medical advice from a spinal specialist following further scans is that he is suffering with a combination of joint and soft tissue injury."

Jade Johnson (Series 7)

Athlete Jade Johnson was forced to quit the show in 2009 to protect the future of her sports career. The Long Jumper — who was parried with Ian Waite — suffered a bad knee injury that she said included an audible "pop". She said: "I'm a competitor and I don't give up easily so I'm absolutely gutted that it means that I can't continue dancing in the show."

Ali Bastian (Series 7)

Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian was runner-up on the show with Brian Fortuna in 2009. But she missed one live show after falling in training and injuring her right foot. Doctors ruled out a fracture, but she was left with severe bruising on the bones on both sides of her foot. The bruising was so bad she was unable to walk and was seen using crutches, with her swollen foot wrapped in a bandage. A week later Bastian made the decision to dance on.

Jimmy Tarbuck (Series 4)

Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck quit the show on doctor's orders in 2006. He had been dancing with Flavia Cacace, but left after two weeks.

A BBC statement at the time said: "Following a doctor's assessment this week, Jimmy, the doctors and the BBC have come to the decision that for the good of Jimmy's health he should no longer take part." This led to Tarbuck being diagnosed with high blood pressure and had surgery to fit stents in his heart.

Read more: Strictly Come Dancing

• Strictly star Will Bayley says series left him with ‘horrific’ injury he’ll ‘never get over’ (Independent, 3 min read)

• Nadiya Bychkova breaks silence on Strictly Come Dancing 'complaint' and sets record straight (Birmingham Live, 1 min read)

• Fired ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Dancer Admits Kicking Partner Zara McDermott (Deadline, 2 min read)