Strictly Come Dancing fans 'gutted' as another star pulls out of live tour

Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts were left in tears as Vito Coppola unexpectedly withdrew from the tour.

The professional dancer announced his inability to continue the live tour due to an injury. This follows his earlier withdrawal from several shows this month because of a back issue, with Nikita Kuzmin stepping in for him.

On Wednesday (January 29), Vito took to Instagram to post a video of him and his dance partner Sarah Hadland, whom he endearingly refers to as Trilly, celebrating their victory in Liverpool.

"This is the way I would like to remember this tour, Trilly. Even though I won't be able to be with you on the Strictly Arena Tour, we had the chance to dance one more time together and it has been as always super beautiful and memorable," he penned.

Vito expressed his support for Sarah as she continued the tour without him and mentioned his plans to "take more care" of himself during his break from dancing. He thanked his fans for their constant support and love, which made him feel cherished and warmly welcomed.

The news saddened fans, prompting them to express their disappointment on social media, with one fan lamenting: "Vito has had to pull out of the Strictly tour due to injury, and I am BEREFT," reports the Mirror.

"Vito confirming he's not doing any shows on Strictly tour what if I CRYYYY," another fan said, while a third expressed disappointment: "I can't believe I won't see you on Saturday Vito in Manchester. You are the reason I love Strictly so much and I was so excited to see you."

A fourth supporter shared their feelings of missing out: "Gutted I didn't get to see you two perform together. Sending you all the love in the world and take care of yourself," as numerous fans sent their best wishes.

The news of Vito's exit comes after Wynne Evans announced his removal from the tour following an offensive joke directed at co-star Janette Manrara.

"I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection. Apologies to those I won't get to see at the remaining performances and I'm grateful to my fellow tour gang for all the amazing support they have given me," Wynne stated apologetically.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer