BBC Breakfast hosts Ben Thompson and Sarah Campbell made a Strictly Come Dancing blunder as they discussed Nigel Harman’s shock exit on Sunday.
The actor, 50, was forced to bow out of the show on medical grounds after he was hospitalised with a rib injury – just two weeks away from the final.
The pair discussed the show shock, meaning no-one will be eliminated this week, with Ben saying: ‘Really tough that you’ve got so far through the competition then you leave through an injury.’
He then added: ‘So what, three couples left,’ before putting three fingers up on his hand.
Sarah said: ‘Yes I think so, it’s all really getting down to the final the final moments,’ before Ben interjected: ‘And they are all really good. They are all really good.’
BBC Breakfast hosts Ben Thompson and Sarah Campbell made a Strictly Come Dancing blunder as they discussed Nigel Harman ‘s shock exit on Sunday
The actor, 50, was forced to bow out of the show on medical grounds after he was hospitalised with a rib injury – just two weeks away from the final
However, eagle-eyed Strictly fans were quick to note the blunder – there are four couples still left in the show, not three.
Ellie Leach, Bobby Brazier, Layton Williams and Annabel Croft will now all make it through to the semi-final.
It was confirmed Nigel had left the BBC dancing contest just hours before Saturday’s live show after he hurt his rib during a jump.
Speaking to host Claudia Winkleman on Saturday, Nigel said: ‘I was about to be caught by some very handsome men but when I landed, I’ve done something to my rib. I’m a little high on painkillers.’
Asked by Claudia if he had enjoyed his time on the show, Nigel said: ‘Oh I’ve loved it, I’ve loved it. This hasn’t really sunk in.
‘When I was watching everyone coming down the stairs, it was real that I’m not part of it anymore.’
Katya was full of praise for Nigel’s hard work on the show and looked emotional at the thought of them no longer getting to perform together.
She said: ‘I have absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on the dancefloor.
Nigel and Katya both appeared on the show where the Downton Abbey star told how he hurt his rib during a jump in rehearsals
‘I know the reasons he did this were for your daughter and your parents and I know your parents will be very proud of you. I hope you’ve got something out of this that you will cherish forever in your broken rib.’
Nigel replied: ‘The only reason I’m standing here is because of all the work you’ve put in. You challenge me, you push me, you support me. Most of all, you’re just part of me now.’ Becoming emotional, he added: ‘I can’t even look at you!’
He and Katya were due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins as part of the programme’s ‘musicals week.’
Nigel’s exit from the show comes a week after ‘steamy’ photographs emerged of him and Katya practising their moves of their steamy Rumba routine at a North London studio.
Sources close to the pair say that they had been ‘training late every night’ last week in a bid to remain in the competition and make it to next week’s semi-finals.
One said: ‘They’ve been training since last weekend, they were determined to stay in the competition.
‘They were starting early and finishing late, they knew they were in with a chance of winning so they were giving it their all. It’s very sad for them both.’
Just one day before his exit, Nigel had discussed how gruelling the fast-paced Charleston had been on his body and admitted he was very worn out.
During an appearance on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Thursday, the star said he would be ‘impressed’ if he was still standing after the difficult routine.
He said: ‘I was about to be caught by some very handsome men but when I landed, I’ve done something to my rib. I’m a little high on painkillers’
Nigel’s exit leaves just Ellie Leach , Bobby Brazier , Layton Williams and Annabel Croft still left in the contest battling it out in a bid to win the iconic glitterball trophy.
The BBC confirmed to : ‘Unfortunately Nigel has sustained an injury which means he is unable to perform in tonight’s show and has had to withdraw from Strictly.’
‘We wish Nigel a speedy recovery and they both will be very much missed by our entire Strictly family,’ the official Strictly Instagram account added in a post confirming his departure.
Just one day before his exit, Nigel had discussed how gruelling the fast-paced Charleston had been on his body and admitted he was very worn out, while pictures from Friday also showed him rehearsing in the studio for the fast-paced routine.
Nigel had opened up about his love of musicals during an appearance on It Takes Two on Friday and seemed in good spirits about the extravagant routine.
He told host Fleur East: ‘I just love musicals, I love the singing and dancing and the heightened emotions of it all. We’ve got this banger this week, it’s full on showbiz.’
He added: ‘There’s leaps, there’s carries and we’re flying around and I end up needing oxygen every time I do it. It’s full on but it’s exciting.’
Just one day before his exit, Nigel had discussed how gruelling the fast-paced Charleston had been on his body and admitted he was very worn out (pictured last week)
‘I’m not gonna lie, the Rumba just sort of mincing around wafting my hips in a general direction with some arms was lovely, maybe one bead of sweat.
‘This week, St John’s ambulance are on standby.’
Had Nigel remained with the show and gone through to the next round, he would have made it to the semi-finals and hinted he would have struggled to learn two routines in one week.
He said: ‘Two dances in a week, I hear it’s possible but I’m just going to walk blindly with it and pretend that everything is fine!’
Nigel – who is married to Lucy Liemann – reportedly missed training on Saturday morning, while Katya was seen in attendance, after working ‘really hard’ in rehearsals to try and secure a place in the final