Adams is off!
Ex-Arsenal star quits Strictly with an injury ( just in time for the World Cup)
Tony Adams sensationally quit Strictly Come Dancing last night, pulling out with an injury.
After coming under public pressure to leave to allow more talented dancers stay in the competition, Adams withdrew with a reported hamstring injury – apt for a former footballer.
After revealing he was in the dance-off with DJ Tyler West, host Tess Daly told the audience: ‘Due to an injury sustained on Saturday night, Tony is unable to take part in the dance-off and has decided to withdraw from the competition.’
A BBC source said: ‘ Tony had a chat with producers and stated that both he and the physio were concerned that dancing the jive again in the dance-off could cause further injury.’
After the announcement, Adams said: ‘It’s been emotional, guys. I cried for the first month. I came in here with one message: if you’ve got an issue with mental health then please don’t suffer in silence.’ The BBC refused to explain what the injury was, though there was speculation that he had hurt his hamstring, a common complaint among footballers.
Adams, 56, who played for Arsenal for 19 years, showed no signs of injury during his jive with partner Katya Jones, for which he won 24 out of 40 points – the lowest of the night. A studio source said he looked ‘upset’ after the show. ‘Something was wrong, something was going on,’ they said. ‘he was struggling to walk and was holding his leg.’
Adams was under pressure from Strictly fans to quit after staying in last Sunday while Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds – a favourite to reach the final – was sent home. She had scored 12 more points than Adams for her dance.
Devoted Strictly fans wrote to BBC bosses, insisting he leave to give his more talented co-stars an opportunity to stay. A Strictly source said: ‘Tony remaining in the show was becoming a real problem for the BBC; they always love to have a range of abilities but usually these exits happen naturally, at the times they should, early on in the series.
‘But Tony’s huge fanbase meant that this wasn’t the case and while he was being voted to stay by Arsenal fans, some of whom don’t even watch the show, others were being booted off.’
however there may be a silver lining: the former centre-back can now put his feet up to watch the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday.