Strictly: Tom Fletcher on Robert Webb's withdrawal from the show
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Former Strictly Come Dancing star Robert Webb has confirmed his absence from Saturday’s group dance on the final of the popular BBC dance show. Taking to social media, the comedian, 49, gave an update on his health after previously admitting that he had “bitten off more than he could chew” when he was forced to exit the show amid concerns about his heart in October.
My love for Strictly is a season that is forever summer
Robert Webb
In view of his 23,400 followers, the Peep Show star confirmed that he will be absent from Saturday’s group dance.
Robert wrote: “Hullo! I seem to have switched from public to private mode and one of the effects of this is people will inevitably find their own ways to interpret my ‘silence’.
“It isn’t really silence, of course.
“It’s just doing other stuff,” he added.
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A post shared by Robert Webb (@arobertwebb)
The funnyman went on to clarify that he harboured no ill will towards the show, after being forced to leave in October.
Robert went on: “But I thought I ought to pipe up because I won’t be in the group dance of the strictly final this Sat and I didn’t want my absence (or my ‘silence’ about it) to be taken as evidence of any kind of bad feeling towards the show.
“My love for Strictly is a season that is forever summer.”
The Channel 4 star went on to add that his exit from the show was final.
“However, the producers understood that when I had to stop, I had to stop completely,” he added.
He went on to detail how he broke the news to his dance partner Dianne Buswell and her partner Joe Sugg, whom he credited with understanding his situation.
He wrote: “Dianne & Joe came over for lunch a few weeks ago and m’partner gets it.
“If I gave out a few more details about what the show had been doing to me physically & mentally, you wouldn’t be surprised that the offer of one more dance was politely declined.”
Addressing how his exit altered the final of the show, the star hit back at “angry” viewers who blamed him for Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu’s departure last weekend.
Incensed fans took to social media to blame Rhys and Nancy’s exit on Robert, as it saw the final show go from being a four couple show, to only featuring two couples.
Jokingly, the star told how even if he had stayed on the show only to “drop dead” while dancing, it would have meant the same result.
Robert wrote: “More generally, I’m sorry that my departure b****red up the format so there are only 3 couples in the final (a lot of angry Rhys fans out there – guys, you do know that if I’d tried to do week 4 but had then dropped dead during the show, it would *still* be a three-couple final, yeah?)
“So anyway, the headlines are: sorry about everything, I’m not doing the thing, I’m fine now btw, and do enjoy the final which will obviously be brilliant because they’re all brilliant.
“See ya!” Robert ended his post.
Back in October, Robert was forced to exit Strictly amid ill health.
The comedian, who had open heart surgery two years ago, revealed in an emotional statement that he had taken on more than his heart could handle by appearing on the show.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7.00pm.
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