Strictly Come Dancing fans beg producers to cancel elimination following Nigel Harman’s departure as they call for Angela Scanlon to return

Strictly Come Dancing fans have begged producers to ‘cancel this weekend’s elimination’ as Nigel Harman was forced to quit just hours before the live show.

The actor, 50, was preparing to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins with his professional partner Katya Jones for the quarter-finals.

However, he has had to withdraw from the BBC dancing competition for medical reasons after suffering an injury which is said to have left him ‘very disappointed’.

His departure leaves only Ellie Leach, Bobby Brazier, Layton Williams and Annabel Croft in the competition as they compete in a bid to win the iconic glitterball trophy.

Fans of the series have been wondering if Sunday’s planned elimination will still go ahead, with some calling for Angela Scanlon to return after her departure last week.

After the BBC announced the news on social media, fans quickly took to the comments section to share their dismay over the popular star’s departure.

Others also wondered whether there will still be a public vote after Nigel’s departure or whether the date of the final, set for December 16, will change. MailOnline understands that the logistical details of any changes will be shared in Saturday evening’s episode.

One fan wrote: ‘Absolutely gutted for him. He was definitely on his way to the final. Speedy recovery Nigel.’

Another said: ‘I’m so mad at him for liking him’, a third said: ‘OMG I’m so upset he was my favorite dancer.’

A fourth wrote: “That’s such a shame I feel bad for Katya too as he’s been her best competitor for ages,” and a fifth said: “That’s really sad after all his hard work.”

While another wondered: ‘They have to stop an elimination next week. 2 in a final doesn’t work.’

One added: “Please cancel tonight’s elimination, a two-person final is terribly boring and anti-climactic.”

Other fans called for Strictly to bring back Angela Scanlon and her dance partner Carlos Gu following Nigel’s unexpected departure.

During last Sunday’s dance off, Angela narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals after failing to win over the judges with her cha-cha-cha to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, saving Layton Williams and pro Nikita Kuzmin .

One fan called for her to be brought back, saying, “Can you please bring @angelascanlon back,” and a second agreed, writing, “Bring back @angelascanlon.”

Another wrote: ‘Poor poor Nigel. He was so fantastic! But I saw someone say: bring back Angela Scanlon! Good idea!’

“Can Angela Scanlon please learn a dance in three and a half hours? come back queen!’ someone else wrote.

The sun have claimed that Nigel’s withdrawal means there will be no elimination this week, but the remaining celebrities – Ellie Leach, Annabel Croft, Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier – will all progress to the next round.

MailOnline has contacted BBC representatives for comment.

Nigel quit Strictly Come Dancing just hours before Saturday night’s live show after suffering an injury.

The BBC confirmed to MailOnline: ‘Unfortunately Nigel has suffered an injury which means he will not be able to perform on tonight’s show and has had to withdraw from Strictly.’

Nigel isn’t the only star to have left the 2023 series of Strictly after Amanda Abbington – who worked with Giovanni Pernice – quit due to medical reasons in October.

Nigel reportedly missed training on Saturday morning during his departure after working ‘really hard’ during rehearsals to try and secure a place in the final.

A source said The sun: ‘Nigel was not in training this morning, other dancers were informed later in the day. He and Katya were very disappointed as they hoped to stay in the competition.

‘They were not in the bottom two and therefore had a real chance of reaching the final.

“Nigel has been training very hard and very hard during rehearsals.”

Angela broke down in tears as she discussed her shock Strictly exit on Monday’s It Takes Two.

The One Show host, 39, and her professional partner Carlos Gu, 30, were voted out of Sunday’s show after a thrilling dance competition with Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin.

An emotional Angela had to be consoled by Carlos as she addressed her departure after watching a series of highlights.

The presenter told presenter Fleur East that she was ‘stinged’ to leave the competition, just a week after wowing the judges with her Argentine tango in Blackpool.

‘There have been a few notable moments. I feel really grateful for them. In this glorious madness, you can have a set path in life, in the middle of the road, and have a pretty smooth journey,” Angela said.

“I’ve always felt that those ups and downs are better for you when you feel things deeply, whether that’s down there or up there.

‘Charleston, week three and at the top of the leaderboard – this took us completely by surprise and it was so joyful and glorious.

‘The Argentine Tango in Blackpool, for me, and that may be why this is so exciting to come a week later.’

The pair showed off their strong bond as they held hands, with Carlos wiping away tears as they watched their best moments on the show.

Sunday’s dance-off saw Angela narrowly miss out on a place in the quarter-finals after failing to win over the judges with her cha-cha-cha to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

Angela faced Layton and his professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, who performed an American Smooth to Magic Moments by Perry Como and originally scored 34 points.

After watching both routines, the judges made the ruling, with only Shirley Ballas revealing that she would choose Angela over Layton.