Strictly Come Dancing contestant La Voix has been forced to leave the competition after sustaining an injury.
The drag queen’s departure was announced by presenter Tess Daly at the start of Saturday’s episode from Blackpool, saying she had had to withdraw on medical advice.
It had been reported earlier that she could not perform on Saturday but there had been hopes she would return next week with dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec.
“This isn’t the ending I imagined, but I’ll cherish this forever,” the performer, 45, said in a post in Instagram.
Le Voix’s departure is the latest in a series of injuries to hit the show’s contestants. As a result, no-one will be eliminated in a dance-off on this week’s show, with the votes being carried over.
La Voix is the alter ego of Chris Dennis, who said ahead of the series that he wanted viewers to get to know the man behind the drag act.
The character became a fan favourite last year while finishing as a finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Exact details of the injury were not revealed.
“My spirit wanted to keep dancing but my foot has other ideas,” La Voix said in her Instagram post.
She added: “Due to an injury, I’ve been advised that I’m unable to perform.”
In recent weeks, Strictly viewers have seen La Voix and Škorjanec jive, waltz and foxtrot around the Strictly dancefloor.
Last month, actor and Neighbours star Stefan Dennis withdrew from Strictly because of injury while in September, TV personality Dani Dyer pulled out before the show got under way after breaking her ankle. She was replaced by actress Amber Davies.