Nigel Harman has quit Strictly Come Dancing just hours ahead of tonight's live show (Saturday, 2nd December).

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The EastEnders and Casualty star was due to dance a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins with his professional partner Katya Jones during the quarter finals.

On Friday (1st December), Harman thanked the public for their "overwhelming" support after he was saved from the dance-off. Appearing on Strictly It Takes Two and chatting to presenter Fleur East, he said: "It's kind of a bit overwhelming that people are sitting there voting for us."

So, why has Harman left Strictly Come Dancing ahead of Musicals Week? Read on for everything you need to know.

Why has Nigel Harman left Strictly Come Dancing?

Nigel Harman and Katya Jones smile after Strictly performance.
Nigel Harman and Katya Jones on Strictly Come Dancing. BBC

Harman has withdrawn from the competition on medical grounds.

A BBC spokesperson confirmed his exit on Saturday afternoon: "Unfortunately Nigel has sustained an injury which means he is unable to perform in tonight’s show and has had to withdraw from Strictly."

It is not clear whether a celebrity will still be eliminated from the BBC programme this week.

The BBC will make an official statement about how Harman’s departure will affect tonight’s episode when it begins at 7.25pm.

It is believed that Harman must have suffered the injury early on Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday morning at around 11am, Jones shared a preview to her Instagram Story, on which she penned: "Here we goooo!!!!"

A source told The Sun: "He and Katya were really disappointed as they were hoping to stay in the competition.

"They hadn't been in the bottom two so had a real chance of making it to the finals. Nigel has been training really hard and really threw himself into rehearsals."

The remaining celebrities are former tennis pro Annabel Croft, theatre and TV star Layton Williams, EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier and former Coronation Street actor Ellie Leach.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 2nd December at 7:25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The results show will air on Sunday 3rd December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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