The 41-year-old singer says she is “grateful” to be dancing again. She and partner Kai Widdrington will perform a rumba to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”.
Delta Goodrem is set to return to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday after missing a week with a fractured rib. The Australian singer, 41, will dance with her professional partner Kai Widdrington. Goodrem charted her recovery on Instagram, calling the injury “frustrating” and saying she was “grateful” to be back. All 12 remaining contestants will feature in week five, which airs at 6.30pm on BBC One.
The comeback
The pair’s rumba is to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. The Irish Sun reports that the dance was chosen partly because it needs no lifts, which would reduce the physical demands on Goodrem. That is an attributed explanation and not a published medical instruction.
Strictly confirmed her return on Monday 19 October, after she was given medical clearance to resume dancing. The announcement included a photograph of her and Widdrington back in the rehearsal room. Clearance does not necessarily mean the rib has healed. Reports describe a gradual return to training, and no scan or medical report confirming full recovery has been published.
BBC rules allow contestants to miss only one week of the competition before they must withdraw. Widdrington told Radio Times at the Pride of Britain Awards on 20 October that they had waited anxiously for clearance and had not known whether she would be allowed back. He said the two kept in close contact during her recovery, and footage she shared shows him trying to coach her over FaceTime. He added that he and his partner visited Goodrem and her husband for coffee and cheese and biscuits on the Sunday before the interview. There is no evidence that she will receive special scoring or exemptions.
The injury
According to the Irish Sun, Goodrem hurt her rib in rehearsals before her 10 October performance, but still danced a salsa with Widdrington and scored 33 points. She topped the leaderboard for a second week running. Her condition reportedly worsened afterwards. She struggled to sleep because of the pain and sought hospital treatment, and was then advised to miss the next week’s show.
Her Instagram recovery diary includes hospital footage in which she describes severe pain and nausea. In a later clip she becomes tearful after receiving medical results. She says doctors described a “pre-fractured” rib, while other reports have said fractured or cracked. It has not been established which rehearsal move caused the injury or exactly what doctors diagnosed. The diary also shows flowers, periods of rest and moments when she cried because of the pain.
The Sun reports that she had planned a tribute to her late friend Olivia Newton-John during Icons Week on 17 October, and that missing it added to her disappointment.
Saturday’s show
Other performances include a salsa to Rosalia’s “Despecha” from Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin. Bethany Antonia, who narrowly avoided elimination last weekend, will dance an Argentine tango with Nancy Xu to “All the Things She Said”, in the version credited to Harrison. Comedian Abi Clarke visited Goodrem and Widdrington’s rehearsal room for Training Room Diaries. The results show airs on Sunday 25 October at 7.10pm, when the next elimination will be revealed.
