Nigel Harman WILL return for Strictly Final after the BBC hit back at claims his departure sparked ‘relief’ among co-stars

Nigel Harman will return for the live final of Strictly Come Dancing after leaving the show ‘due to medical reasons’ just hours before Saturday’s show.

The actor, 50, who had taken part in the competition with professional partner Katya Jones, 34, was forced to withdraw after attempting to perform a stunt during rehearsals which left him with a rib injury.

It has since been claimed that the Strictly crew were ‘relieved’ after his departure as it was reported that the Casualty star would often have ‘mood swings’.

Responding to the claims, a BBC source hit back by saying: ‘It’s always sad when a contestant leaves the show, especially if they get injured.

‘Nigel will be greatly missed by those who worked with him on the show and everyone wishes him all the best and looks forward to seeing him at the final on Saturday 16 December.’

Nigel was previously seen storming off the dance floor after receiving a disappointing score for his performance in Blackpool.

A source told The Sun how the actor ‘takes himself very seriously’ as a performer and throws himself completely into his routines.

Continuing: ‘So he’s clearly very emotional when things don’t go as he hoped. That often means that he can be like a bear with a sore head backstage.

“Viewers got a glimpse of that when he got disappointing scores for their quickstep in Blackpool.”

Before adding, “The crew and professionals of the show are like a close-knit family and the celebrities are welcomed into it. But if someone disrupts that long-standing dynamic, it can create bad feelings.”

Nigel and Katya’s routine to Duke Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing landed them second from bottom in the judges’ standings in Blackpool, with a score of 31 points out of 40.

In a video shared on social media, Nigel could be seen quickly leaving the dance floor just seconds after the BBC cameras stopped filming.

Katya appeared confused and stood still for a moment before following along, while other participants happily danced and hugged.

The audience member who shared the video on Twitter also wrote: ‘Are #Strictly judges proud of themselves? Nigel is broken tonight and couldn’t even face dancing anymore when the theme and cameras stopped.

Taking away someone’s love for dance and self-confidence should not be what the show is about.”

MailOnline contacted Nigel’s representatives at the time.

The couple both appeared on Saturday’s show where Nigel told how he hurt his rib during a jump during rehearsals.

He said: ‘I was about to get caught by some very handsome men, but when I landed I did something to my rib. I’m a little high on painkillers.’

When asked by host Claudia Winkleman if he enjoyed his time on the show, Nigel said: ‘Oh, I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. This doesn’t really get through.

“When I saw everyone coming down the stairs, it really felt like I wasn’t part of it anymore.”

Katya praised Nigel’s hard work on the show and looked emotional at the thought of them no longer performing together.

She said: “I absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on the dance floor.

“I know the reasons he did this were for your daughter and your parents, and I know your parents will be very proud of you. I hope you find something out of this that you will cherish forever in your broken rib.”

Nigel replied: ‘The only reason I’m standing here is because of all the work you’ve put into it. You challenge me, you push me, you support me. Most of all, you’re just a part of me now.” He became emotional and added, “I can’t even look at you!”

He and Katya were due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins as part of the programme’s ‘musicals week’.

Nigel’s exit from the show comes a week after ‘steamy’ photos emerged of him and Katya practicing their moves for their steamy Rumba routine in a north London studio.

“When I saw everyone coming down the stairs, it really felt like I wasn’t part of it anymore.”

Strictly Come Dancing: The Semi-Final airs on BBC One on Saturday at 7.25pm.