Stacey Dooley is back on the dance floor ahead of week seven's Saturday-night show, following an injury sustained on Monday.

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But the bruise visible on the left side of her ribs (see the video below) is evidence of the tear to an intercostal muscle – which Stacey admits hurt so much that it made her throw up.

"Last week it was niggling me, it was the lean in the tango I think," she told Zoe Ball on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two on Friday.

"The repetition and the impact of it. But I thought fine, fine, fine and I just kept carrying on.

"Then on the Monday we were training and I thought my muscle is going. Then bang. I hit Kev and I felt a tear. I was like, 'I’m going to throw up.'

"Do you know when you hit your head and it's so painful you think you are going to throw up everywhere?

"We had choreographers there and I felt embarrassed so I swallowed my sick – sorry, sorry TMI."

Yeah, thanks for that Stace.

Having impressed the Strictly judges with her tango to the Doctor Who theme tune in Halloween Week, landing a score of 35, Stacey has her work cut out this Saturday as she and pro partner Kevin Clifton take on their first Couples Choice dance of the season – a 'commercial and street' routine to Alicia Keys's Empire State of Mind.

But Stacey says she's ready to give it everything she's got.

"I’ve torn my intercostal muscle, I’m trying not to make a fuss of it," she said. "I’m not holding back. I feel like no-one wants a sob story or moany Margaret. I’m just going to go there and do my best, what will be will be."

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Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC1 on Saturday 3rd November at 7:05pm

Authors

Paul Jones, RadioTimes.com
Paul JonesExecutive Editor, RadioTimes.com
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