We have reached the halfway point of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing this weekend, but the next competitive episode (and its respective Results Show) will be without one of this year's strongest dancers. Unfortunately, actress Jaime Winstone and her dance partner Carlos Gu have had to pull out of this weekend's round of dancing.
The pair, who have stunned viewers with a Leaderboard-topping Paso Doble while also facing a number of Dance-Offs, will sit this week's episode out due to injury, making them the second couple this series to have to do that (after Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington three weeks ago).
Jaime and Carlos will hopefully return to Strictly next weekend
Jaime Winstone unfortunately suffered a torn abdominal muscle, meaning that she and Carlos won't be dancing on this week's episode of Strictly. In line with the show's rules, she and Carlos will be given a one-week bye through to next week, allowing them to return to the dancefloor in Week 8 should she manage to recover enough to dance again. We're all rooting for her to make a full recovery very, very soon!
A BBC Spokesperson said in a statement:
"Due to injury, Jaime Winstone has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, she will not dance in this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing. In line with the rules of the show, Jaime and Carlos will receive a bye through to next week when it is hoped they will be able to dance again. We wish Jaime the very best as she continues her recovery.
Jaime and Carlos have had quite the Strictly journey across the past six weeks. The pair were in the first Dance-Off of the series (despite being in the middle of the Leaderboard) and very quickly proved themselves to be fighters. They were safe for the next two weeks, which included delivering a Leaderboard-topping Paso Doble that had the judges raving about how good it was. They then survived two more Dance-Offs after that, including the infamous Halloween three-way Dance-Off that saw the judges vote to eliminate instead of save.
Revisit that Paso Doble that the judges referred to as "a piece of art" below:
Jaime is easily one of the best natural dancers on the show, so fans are really rallying behind her and their journey. You can rest assured that they are rallying even more so now, wishing her a speedy recovery so that she can get back to delivering those epic, powerful performances that she is renowned for.
Jaime herself took to social media to thank fans for their well wishes and share an update on her health, telling everyone that she hopes to be back in the ballroom very soon:
"I am absolutely devastated not to be dancing this weekend due to a torn abdominal muscle. I am in considerable pain, and my doctors have advised complete rest to give my body the best possible chance to heal. As frustrating as it is, I have to put my health first and follow their advice to step away from dancing this week. I love every moment of dancing and performing with Carlos, and I am praying for a speedy recovery so that I can continue this magical journey. I want to thank everyone for their incredible support so far. It means more than you know. Wishing everyone on the show all the luck, love and strength for Saturday night and I hope to be back on that dance floor very soon. With love, Jaime."
Winstone, the daughter of Ray Winstone, is a fixture of the stage and screen, with appearances in the likes of Kidulthood, Made in Dagenham, Love, Rosie, and Tomb Raider. She earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Dame Barbara Windsor in the BBC biopic Babs and went on to play a younger version of Windsor's iconic character Peggy Mitchell in three episodes of EastEnders.
We have loved watching Jaime Winstone light up the screen over the years and we have especially enjoyed her taking on these awesome dance routines over the past few weeks too. We wish her an incredibly speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her take on more of those powerful routines in the weeks ahead. Get well soon, Jaime!
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