Stefan Dennis, a well-known figure from the popular show Neighbours, has been compelled to withdraw from the BBC’s star-studded competition, Strictly Come Dancing, due to a severe calf injury. The incident occurred during a live Saturday performance while Dennis was performing the Charleston with professional dancer Dianne Buswell. Despite only having painkillers to rely on, the duo managed to survive Sunday’s elimination. However, Dennis has since announced his decision to step back from the competition in order to focus on his recovery.

In a bittersweet twist, Dennis expressed his disappointment at not being able to return to his family in Australia, including his wife, Gail, and their three children. Despite the untimely end to his Strictly journey, the actor showed resilience as he attended the Pride of Britain awards in London on October 21, alongside his dance partner Dianne, who is expecting a baby. During the event, Dennis took to the stage with his Strictly colleagues to present the Teenager of Courage award to 13-year-old Zach Eagling.

Reflecting on his departure from the show, Dennis admitted, “It’s a bit of a s****er, but I’ll be back at the end of the year, for the final.” His statement highlights his intent to return for the show’s grand finale.

Adding to the emotional strain, Dennis shared that his wife, Gail, is particularly saddened by his inability to return home to Australia for another month, despite his injury.

The 66-year-old actor explained that medical professionals have advised against flying, effectively grounding him from any air travel for the foreseeable future.

“I can’t fly for another two weeks because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which my wife is pretty upset about,” he explained to the Mirror.

Stefan continued: “I just feel like I’ve let everyone down. They all say I haven’t, of course, and the pros know all about injuries, but it feels like a shame to go out in this way.

“It was all going so well. When you go out, you want it to be because the viewers have spoken, because it’s your time, not like this.”

In his Strictly exit announcement, Sarah James, the Executive Producer of BBC Studios, added: “We’ve adored having Stefan on Strictly Come Dancing, and are heartbroken that his Strictly journey and his fantastic partnership with Dianne Buswell has been cut short.

“It’s been a joy to see him embrace the series with such enthusiasm, and we really hope that, once better, he will keep on dancing.”

Stefan’s departure comes after he missed week three of the competition due to an unrelated illness. At the time, he said: “I had a little bit of a turn, a little bit of an episode with vertigo.

“But it was all OK, I made myself right again with the help of some good people at the hospital.”