He was one of the favourites to get his hands on the Glitterball trophy, so Nigel Harman’s abrupt exit from Strictly came as a shock to fans last week.
As Nigel explained he had been forced to leave the competition after sustaining a rib injury during rehearsals which landed him in A&E, his dance partner Katya Jones broke down, explaining it was “hard to talk”.
![nigel and katya](https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/2/2023/12/nigel-katya-dancing.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Following the emotional moment, viewers took to social media platform X to share their thoughts. One person wrote, “Really really missed Katya & Nigel tonight”.
Another wrote, “We all love Nigel and Katya I’m heartbroken they’re gone” and a third commented, “Nah Nigel and Katya weren’t supposed to make me cry this week wtf”.
![Katya and nigel](https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/2/2023/12/strictly-nigel-katya-soap-scaled.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Nigel’s surprise departure from the show comes after the former EastEnders actor allegedly had a row with his wife Lucy Liemann, 50, in front of a live audience after his performance in Blackpool.
The 54-year-old and Katya, 34, had received a score of 31 for their Quickstep to It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing by Duke Ellington.
After receiving the judges’ comments, he was said to have “stormed off” and “upset” his wife of 12 years – something he neither confirmed nor denied. Katya was then reportedly seen consoling Lucy. Nigel previously admitted he was “disappointed” by the performance, but insisted he “loved every second of it”.
![nigel and Lucy](https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/2/2023/12/nigel-lucy-scaled.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
The outing comes after it was also reported that BBC crew were “relieved” after Nigel’s unexpected departure from the show as he would often have “mood swings” backstage – something Nigel has not commented on.
![closer magazine cover](https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/2/2023/12/closer-magazine-cover-1.png?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)