OVER AND OUT-EN
Denise Van Outen quits Dancing On Ice after suffering shoulder injury
DENISE Van Outen has announced that she has QUIT Dancing On Ice due to her ongoing shoulder injury, with it confirmed that Olympian Amy Tinkler will be taking her place in the competition.
The 46-year-old star admitted that she was "gutted" to have made the decision to leave after seriously hurting her shoulder before the series even launched.
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A recent MRI scan has now shown that her injury is more severe than initially thought, and Denise had been powering through with multiple bone fractures as well as a shoulder dislocation.
The news comes shortly after the TV favourite was spotted looking glum as she took a phone call outside of a London clinic in photos exclusive to The Sun.
And Denise has now opened up about her ordeal in a lengthy Instagram post, sharing a photo of herself alongside pro partner Matt Evers - with her arm in a sequin red sling - as she confirmed her departure.
She wrote: "GUTTED! If you’ve been watching @dancingonice you will be aware that just over a week ago I had a nasty fall and injured my shoulder.
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"I managed to skate my first dance with @themattevers on the live show through a gritted smile because the pain was unbearable. I’ve tried as hard as I can to carry on because I love the show and the amazing team in front and behind the cameras.
"Initially we thought with rest I could make a return to the ice, but a recent MRI scan has shown that I have three bone fractures as well as a partial dislocation. OUCH! No wonder I’ve been in agony.
"I won’t be able to do any lifts, tricks or solo skating on the show due to my injury. I’m going to bail out gracefully with my DOI bling sling. @themattevers has been the most incredible support and skate partner (a true friend) and I’m so grateful for his expertise in teaching me (ice virgin) the basics."
The blonde beauty went on to reinforce her disappointment at leaving the competition, adding: "I just wish I was well enough to learn all the fabulous tricks my injury won’t allow me to do. Chair dancing on Ice with a massive pie won’t get us points on the leader board. I’m actually proud of what I’ve achieved (not much, lowest scores so far) .
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"If you don’t mind I’m going to give myself a couple of points for bravery for doing cartwheels on Ice at 46 with broken bones."
She concluded: "I wish all the celebs, pros and judges the best of luck for the rest of the series. I’m rooting for you all. Bunch of legends".
Matt added in a statement: "Denise has worked so incredibly hard these past few months and I'm devastated that she’s unable to show everyone what a beautiful skater she’s become.
"It’s sad that the competition must end now for both Denise and I but it’s most important that she takes the time to heal and recover. I loved our time on the ice together and I love the wonderful friendship that we will always have.
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"I’m gutted to have Denise leave the show and equally gutted that last Sunday’s hug will be my last for a while."
An ITV spokesperson echoed: "We adore Denise and Matt and we’re so very sad to see them leave the competition so soon.
"They are both much loved members of the Dancing On Ice family and we’d like to thank them for their hard work, from the moment they began training through to the joyful performances they brought to the show. We wish Denise all the very best as she now takes some time to make a full recovery."
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The show also confirmed that a new celebrity will be joining the cast to replace Denise, with Olympic gymnast Amy Tinkler and pro-skater Joe Johnson officially part of the line-up from this weekend.
The horror moment that Denise's accident happened was shown during the ITV series launch earlier this month, ahead of her and Matt's first performance on the rink.
As the pair rehearsed their routine during the week, Denise crashed onto the ice before Matt heavily fell on top of her.
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Dancing On Ice's Denise Van Outen performs with a dislocated shoulder in show debut
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The star was determined not to let the injury force her out of the competition and took part in the live show just days later - still wearing a visible bandage around her arm.
An insider previously told The Sun that Denise was "determined" to make her Dancing On Ice debut.
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They said: "Denise had a huge scare, but she's determined not to let a dislocated shoulder stop her from performing on the launch show.
"She's had huge support from her skating partner Matt Evers. He's going to be on hand to make sure tonight goes to plan, despite the difficult circumstances."
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