Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara was visibly upset during Saturday night's live show as her partner Will Bayley made an emotional speech following his exit from the competition. Will told Tess from the audience: "I'm so gutted but it's so good to be here to support everyone, they're all smashing it tonight... I'm loving it. I love you guys. I feel like I've had the most support throughout this whole process so the least I can do is support you guys ... I'm proud to watch."
When Tess asked about his knee injury, he added: "It's getting there ... I want to see what it's like in a couple of weeks but I'll be there for Tokyo. I want to win that gold medal again." Paying tribute to Janette - who was seen wiping away her tears and being comforted by the other pros - Will said: "My highlight has been my partner Janette. She has been a rock to me. She's amazing and I can't speak highly enough. She believed in me and I can't thank her enough."
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Fans took to Twitter to react to Will's moving words, with one writing: "Will Bayley was the absolute heart of this show," and another saying: "Who was with me giving Will Bailey a virtual hug?" One viewer sweetly added that she will continue to support him, tweeting: "I'm not a table tennis fan and don't usually get a chance to watch the Paralympics. For Will Bayley, I will watch his games in Tokyo 2020 so he must get better so he can compete. He's a genuine sweetheart."
On Wednesday evening, Janette and Will confirmed their sad fate during an appearance on It Takes Two. They were forced to leave this year's series after Will sustained a painful injury during last week's rehearsals. Breaking down in tears himself, the World Table Tennis Paralympic champion told host Zoe Ball: "To me, it meant more than just a show. I wanted to try and help people as well."
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