Jody Cundy’s future on Strictly Come Dancing has been announced.
The 44-year-old paralympian, who is coupled with 2022 champion Jowita Przystal, was brought to the hospital earlier this week, citing a “week of highs and lows.”
Because he couldn’t put on his prosthetic limb due to the infection, he hadn’t been able to exercise in the run-up to Movie Week.
Speaking to Janette Manrara on It Takes Two, the sporting star explained on Thursday (October 5): ‘The first two days, absolutely flown by, the end of day 2, we’d done the routine a number of times from start to finish, which I had not done for the previous two dances.
‘Really confident that we could just perfect everything for Saturday, I got home on Tuesday night, took my leg off, and was like, “Ooh, that’s quite sore,” and didn’t really think too much of it. Cleaned it, bathed it, made sure it was all ok.
‘Then I got up around 4am, looked at my leg, and it was warm, swollen, and I was like, “That’s getting infected, I need to see somebody about it”.’
Jody was then rushed to the hospital and given antibiotics, but the next morning he still couldn’t put his leg on.
On Thursday, he said: ‘It is healing, it is getting better but at the moment I’m still not able to get my leg on.’
However, in an It Takes Two update on Friday, it was reported that Jody was able to rehearse in the Strictly ballroom.
He was seen dancing the American Smooth in a rehearsal, as Janette celebrated: ‘They danced today!’
Strictly bosses have now confirmed that there are ‘contingencies in place’ if Jody is unable to dance.
In a statement the BBC said: ‘We are all hopeful Jody will be able to perform tonight, and there are contingencies in place should he not be able to.’
Taking to his Instagram Story after Thursday’s It Takes Two, Jody wrote: ‘You may have seen on It Takes Two, that I’ve picked up a minor niggle this week that’s meant I’ve missed a few days training.
‘Everything seems to be settling down and I hope to be back on the dancefloor this Saturday evening.’
We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed!
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.
