Nigel Harman has said he is “still in quite a bit of pain” after quitting Strictly Come Dancing due to an injury.
The actor, 50, was unable to perform with dance partner Katya Jones on Saturday after he injured his rib while practising a jump in rehearsals.
Speaking to host Fleur East on BBC Two’s Strictly spin-off show, It Takes Two on Monday, the Casualty star said: “I’m still in quite a bit of pain.
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“I was sort of moping around the house going, I wonder what Katya’s doing today?
“So it feels quite strange, because it’s only been three days.
“Three days ago we were about to do this dance that we knew was going to be great.”
He added: “It feels quite strange and surreal. I’m missing people already, but I don’t feel like I’ve left yet.”
Speaking about her time with Harman, Jones, 34, said: “Every week reminded me, it’s not a technical competition.
“We are here to light up every Saturday night for everyone to watch. To deliver entertainment, to enjoy ourselves and to tell stories and to love what we do.”
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She added: “Pretty much everything is out of our hands.
“The way I approach it every year is, I’m just here with (an) open heart, full of belief… with love and care and support to guide this person.”
Harman and Jones were due to perform a Charleston to Step In Time from Disney’s Mary Poppins during Saturday’s quarter-final.
The former EastEnder revealed on Saturday’s live show he had been taken to A&E after he fell and said it had not quite “sunk in” that he would not be performing anymore.
He told host Claudia Winkleman: “I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men and – as I flew – I was Peter Pan and – as I landed – I was in A&E.
“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.”
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Reflecting on his time on Strictly, Harman added: “This hasn’t really sunk in. When I watched everyone come down the stairs I was like ‘Oh, this is real. I’m not part of this anymore’, and that’s quite sad. I’ve been avoiding Kat all day as that makes it really real as well.”
Because Harman had to quit, there was no public vote or elimination on the weekend, and the remaining couples have gone through to the semi-finals.
Actress Ellie Leach, tennis player Annabel Croft, theatre and TV star Layton Williams and EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier are still in the competition.
