Strictly Come Dancing: Tony Adams withdraws with an injury

Tony Adams and Katya Jones performed a jive on Saturday night

Former footballer Tony Adams has pulled out of Strictly Come Dancing after hurting himself in Saturday's show.

His decision saved DJ Tyler West and Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell from Sunday night's dance-off, meaning they will go through to next week's show.

Adams, 56, said the show had taught him a lot about himself and described his dance partner Katya Jones as an "exceptional human being".

The couple were in bottom place after a 1960s-themed jive on Saturday night.

Speaking about his time on Strictly, ex-England player Adams said he had "cried for the first month".

"I thought this 'journey' rubbish was nonsense but, my god, the rollercoaster of emotion. I've got to be honest, it's tough, physically it's really tough out there, but dancing is really fantastic for you.

"Go out there and enjoy it and pick up new skills and explore," he said.

On the one message he wanted to bring to the show, he told viewers: "If you've got an issue with mental health then please don't suffer in silence and reach out for help."

Head judge Shirley Ballas was full of praise for the former Arsenal player, saying he had become "one of the nation's favourite entertainers" and encouraged him to carry on dancing.

"On behalf of all the judges, we've enjoyed watching every second. You are truly what this show is all about, and we can only wish you the best as you move forward," she said.

Don't suffer mental health issues in silence, Adams told his fans

Katya Jones expressed how grateful she was to have partnered Adams.

"I loved that we didn't care what people thought, we did every single dance our way.

"You led by example, and put yourself out there, and showed everyone you can do anything. And everyone deserves love and to be loved," she said.

The couple performed their Saturday night jive to Wilson Pickett's Land of 1000 Dances, making the studio audience cheer with excitement after executing a series of roly-polies.

But their efforts failed to impress the judges who only scored them 24 points. Craig Revel Horwood branded their dance a "technical disaster".

Sunday's results show opened with a touching Remembrance Sunday tribute as Strictly professionals performed a ballroom dance.

Adams and Jones will join hosts Rylan Clark and Janette Manrara on Strictly It Takes Two on Monday evening.

The remaining eight couples will take to the dancefloor in Blackpool next week.

Strictly's other withdrawals

Withdrawals from Strictly have been very rare over its 20 series to date, with just a handful leaving the ballroom bonanza without being voted off:

• Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck left the show during the programme's fourth series after being diagnosed with high blood pressure. "I'm absolutely devastated," he said at the time.

• The following year, model and actress Kelly Brook withdrew in order to spend more time with her family after the death of her father, Kenneth.

• One year later, political journalist John Sergeant's simple steps won over many viewers but he decided to quit after fearing he might actually win the competition. "That would be a joke too far," he said.

• Olympic athlete Jade Johnson said she was "absolutely gutted" after an injury suffered during a dress rehearsal forced her to withdraw during series seven.

• Singer Will Young left the show for "personal reasons" during series 14. He later told the Times Magazine it was "for my own wellbeing".

• Made In Chelsea star Jaime Laing was forced to pull out of the 2019 series before it had even begun, after injuring his foot during the pre-recorded launch show. He went on to appear in the following series, making it all the way to the final and finishing as a runner-up.

• In the same series, Paralympian Will Bayley injured his leg after landing a jump awkwardly in rehearsals. He missed one week of the show before deciding to withdraw.

• The 18th series of Strictly took place against the backdrop of Covid, with the contestants enduring strict testing and bubble rules. Again, it wasn't to be for Katya Jones after she caught coronavirus, meaning she and her partner, Olympic boxer Nicola Adam, were forced to withdraw.

• During series 19, Robert Webb was forced to withdraw due to ill-health. The comedian revealed he'd had open heart surgery just two years before and after experiencing symptoms, his consultant advised him to pull out.

• Days before the final of the same series, one of the favourites to win, AJ Odudu, had to pull out after tearing a ligament in her ankle.