This year’s Strictly Come Dancing looks like it could be the finest series yet, but one person who’ll be missing opening night next Friday is Aliona Vilani.
The professional dancer suffered a broken leg this week after a training session with Johnny Ball – the oldest contestant in Strictly.. history – ended in disaster.
Vilani – who won last year’s series with McFly singer Harry Judd – was taken to hospital, where doctors explained that she’d suffered a hairline fracture to her ankle.
Vilani has been told that she won’t be able to dance for a month, which means that a replacement dancer will be partnering Ball for the opening weeks.
The accident happened when Ball, 74, made a wrong turn during their routine. The damage is not career threatening, but Vilani has been banned from dancing until she can see a consultant next week. It is expected that she will have to rest her ankle for up to a month.
A friend of Vilani said: “‘Aliona and Johnny were rehearsing today when Johnny pulled Aliona in the wrong direction and twisted her knee and right ankle – she immediately felt a pop in her leg. She was in terrible pain and couldn’t walk on the leg.”
Strictly Come Dancing kicks-off on Friday 5th October and stars Olympic athletes Louis Smith and Victoria Pendleton as well as a host of other celebrities.
