Dancing On Ice’s Greg Rutherford has been forced to leave the show just hours before the live final.
The Olympian, 37, had to battle it out against Ryan Thomas, Adele Roberts and Miles Nazaire to lift the trophy this Sunday night.
However, his hopes of taking part have been dashed after he suffered a “significant” injury on the morning of practice.
His pro partner Vanessa James broke the news in an Instagram post on Sunday, sharing: ‘Unfortunately Greg suffered a significant injury this morning in practice and will not be able to perform tonight.
‘We are on our way to the hospital for Greg to be examined further and receive the treatment he needs.’
Dancing On Ice’s Greg Rutherford has been forced to leave the show just hours before the live final, his pro partner Vanessa James revealed in an Instagram post on Sunday
Earlier this week, Greg shared The mirror his time in the competition may be over after suffering a painful groin injury four weeks ago.
‘I was devastated at the start, that’s classic me, an injury at just the wrong time. But because of Sharon, the physio who works for the show has been working tirelessly to keep me going and doing well,’ the Olympian said.
‘We’re in a situation at the moment where, yes, it’s still healing and there’s a little bit of soreness and pressure. But I am able to do what we must. Fortunately, I’m here and I’m also excited to be here.’
The athlete admitted the final hurdle will be trying to clear the Bolero – although he is ‘delighted’ to have reached the final regardless.
Greg noted that he was also named best skater out of the solo skate, something he called a ‘really proud moment’.
‘All in all, excited to pieces, I’m ignoring the fact that there’s still a little bit of damage, but that’s fine. I hope the showcase, everyone loves it and we get to do Bolero. So, who knows at that point, who knows!,” he added.
Despite his recent injury, Greg doesn’t seem to be letting anything stop him and admitted to being in great shape after losing 7kg since joining the ITV show.
The long jump specialist also added that his journey on Dancing On Ice helped him find a good balance while eating better and exercising.
Gushing about his experience on the runaway series, Greg admitted he found a ‘complete love and passion’ for skating that he ‘didn’t expect to happen’.
The athletic sensation – who is now retired – said the show gave him a purpose to exercise and ‘feel better about myself’, which he described as a ‘kick up the butt to stay fit and healthy’.
Elsewhere, Ryan Thomas has said he hopes the Dancing On Ice final will mean his body can finally recover after undergoing intensive training while on the series.
The track athlete, 37, had to battle Ryan Thomas, Adele Roberts and Miles Nazaire to lift the winner’s trophy this Sunday night (pictured with Vanessa at the show)
Despite his recent injury, Greg doesn’t seem to be letting anything stop him and admitted to being in great shape after losing 7kg since joining the ITV show
Greg gushed about his experience at the runaway series, admitting he found a ‘complete love and passion’ for skating that he ‘didn’t expect to happen
The former Coronation Street actor, 39, who played Jason Grimshaw for 16 years, will battle it out on Sunday night
This was told by the actor, whose professional skating partner is Amani Fancy The mirror that being almost 40 meant his body didn’t ‘bounce back as easily’.
He said: ‘They work hard on you and it’s now the last week and there’s a lot to deal with. And the body is not far from coming to a standstill. I mean it takes a toll on your body more than anything else.’
Ryan – whose brothers are Strictly Come Dancing star Adam Thomas and former Love Island contestant Scott Thomas – added that his focus was on getting back to his family.
He continued: ‘I think that’s the only reason I can get through this, because I know at the end I have my beautiful family to come back to.
‘I live for it, doing normal everyday, taking the kids to school, going to the park, the things I used to take for granted, I want to embrace a lot.’
Ryan shares daughter Scarlett, 15, with his ex and former Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien and two children with fiancee Lucy Mecklenburgh, who shot to fame in TOWIE.
With the end in sight, Ryan said the skating has become ‘tougher and tougher’.
Elsewhere, Ryan Thomas also opened up about the grueling training, saying he hopes the Dancing On Ice final will mean his body can finally recover after undergoing intensive training while on the show
This was certainly true of last Sunday’s show, where the celebrities’ skating skills were pushed to the limit as they performed twice, where one dance saw them forced to master working on wires.
Ryan’s hard work paid off as he and his dance partner earned their highest score of the series with an impressive 38 points.
The judges were full of compliments as they praised the soap star for his ‘story telling’ and performance skills.
Motsi Mabuse labeled the skate as ‘happy’ and said it helped viewers forget about the hard things going on in their lives.
This Sunday’s performance will see Ryan skate to a Game Of Thrones themed routine which he describes as a ‘real showstopper’.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of referees Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean winning Olympic gold.
The celebrities will perform a routine inspired by the skating duo’s performance of Ravel’s Bolero in Sarajevo at the 1984 Winter Games this weekend.
The final of Dancing On Ice is on Sunday at 18.25.