It was an emotional weekend for Will Bayley as he watched his former Strictly Come Dancing colleagues from the sidelines after pulling out of the competition last week due to an injury. And now the Paralympic gold-medallist has answered claims on whether he would return to the ballroom next year to compete for the Glitterball trophy.
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Speaking on Monday's Loose Women about whether he would go back on the BBC show, Will stated: "You never know, you never know. I wasn't a brilliant dancer but I loved it." The table-tennis champion continued: "To have the opportunity was a privilege actually. I wasn't a great dancer but I loved every single minute." Although he's no longer competing on the show, the world champion was adamant that he had achieved a great deal from taking part, stating: "I achieved everything I wanted coming onto the show."
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© Photo: BBCWill Bayley and Janette Manrara's last dance was their contemporary couple's choice
Will also revealed further detail on how he sustained his injury: "It was our last run through, I jumped off [the table]… I'd done it before a couple of times. As soon as I landed I knew it was gone." He continued: "I was really wanting to prove a point as well. I jumped off the table and gave everything I could. When I landed I felt it pop; I was expecting to see it broken. I was quite relieved when I looked down it was all still there."
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© Photo: InstagramWill Bayley watched last weekend's show from the sidelines
And it seems the sportsman has remained close friends with former professional partner Janette Manrara, who could be seen in tears on Saturday's show as Will spoke to Tess from the audience. Janette appeared on Monday's Loose Women via video call, as she phoned into the show to give the Paralympian a special message.
The dancer said: "Thank you for giving me just the most amazing memories while we danced together on Strictly Come Dancing. I'm going to cherish it always... Now take care of your knee, we need you to go to Tokyo2020 and win that gold."
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