Why did Tony Adams leave Strictly? All we know so far

Why did Tony Adams leave Strictly? is a question many viewers want to know the answer to, after the ex-footballer made the decision to withdraw from the show.

Tony Adams has become the seventh contestant to leave this year's Strictly Come Dancing, after it was revealed he would be withdrawing from the competition on Sunday night's show. Fans wondering who left Strictly were surprised to find out that Tony didn't compete in a dance-off, instead choosing to withdraw before going head-to-head with Kiss FM DJ Tyler West and his partner, Dianne Buswell.

His shock exit means that the other Strictly contestants will go on without him to Blackpool, and viewers will no longer be able to enjoy the funny routines performed him and partner Katya Jones. The decision has left fans wanting to know more, and wondering why did Tony Adams leave Strictly?

Why did Tony Adams leave Strictly?

Tony Adams was forced to withdraw from Strictly due to an injury. When he and partner Katya found themselves in Sunday night's dance-off, host Tess Daly revealed Tony would no longer be participating in the competition.

She said: "Due to an injury sustained on Saturday night, Tony is unable to take part in the dance-off and has decided to withdraw from the competition. This means there will be no dance-off tonight and Tyler and Dianne are through to Blackpool."

At the end of the show, Tony reflected on his time on Strictly. "It’s been emotional guys, I cried for the first month. I came in here with one message: if you’ve got an issue with mental health then please don’t suffer in silence and reach out for help," he said.

"Little did I know that I was going to learn a lot about myself in the process. 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. I suppose I had better mention this one [his dance partner Katya Jones] hadn’t I – she is an exceptional human being, she really is."

Katya responded by saying to Tony: "I loved us, I loved that we didn’t care what people thought, we did every single dance our way! You have come here with a message, you led by example and put yourself out there, and showed everyone you can do anything. And everyone deserves love and to be loved! I love you."

Head judge Shirley Ballas also paid tribute to the ex-footballer, telling him, "Tony, from the very first moment you stepped foot on the floor with your tango, to the last moment and the last kick, you have given us 100% of your heart."

She added: "On behalf of the judges, we’ve enjoyed watching every second, you are truly what this show is all about, and we can only wish you the very best as you move forward."

Though Tony has been popular with the public and studio audience during his time on Strictly, he often failed to impress the judges, with his recent performance branded a "disaster" by Craig Revel Horwood. 

According to the MailOnline, some viewers had called on the BBC to axe Tony from the show after he stayed in last Sunday while Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds - who scored 12 more points than him for her dance - was sent home. 

A source told the publication: "There has been some concern at the BBC that Tony would go all the way to the final due to the massive support he has from his Arsenal fan base, but now it has got past week seven there is real anger amongst the fans and they are sharing their views with the BBC by writing in.

"To them, they want to watch great dancers and while they accept there will be more jokey acts at the beginning, when it gets to this point of the competition, this is increasingly becoming an issue for the programme and its fans."

What injury did Tony Adams have?

Though it hasn't been confirmed, it is thought that Tony Adams pulled out of Strictly due to a hamstring injury.

Speaking on the Strictly spin off It Takes Two on the Wednesday before his exit, he told host Janette Manrara that he hadn't had much practice for his previous salsa performance because of the injury.

He said: "I actually got the hammystring that attached on the back there [pointing to his leg] and when I do kind of stretch it there I still feel a bit sore there now. It kind of went on Friday so it was like 'let's not do that', so we just did the dress rehearsal."

His partner Katya added that the injury was "worrying".

The salsa had failed to impress the judges and Tony ended up finishing last on the leader board after being awarded just 21 points from the judges.

Tony's most recent performance saw him perform a jive to Land Of 1,000 Dances by Wilson Pickett, in which he brandished a guitar and did a roly-poly with Katya.

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