Strictly loses Laing before dancing starts

Strictly Come Dancing has lost a contestant before the new series has even begun, after Jamie Laing was forced to drop out with an injury sustained during the launch show.

The 30-year-old Made in Chelsea star, an heir to the Mcvities biscuit fortune, was left on crutches after landing awkwardly during a group dance. The launch show, in which viewers learn which celebrities have been paired with which professional dancers, was pre-recorded last week and will be broadcast this Saturday.

The show’s producers are now searching for a last-minute replacement.