Sally Nugent injured during training for Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special

What did you miss?

BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent has revealed she has suffered a similar Strictly Come Dancing injury to Nigel Harman during training for the Christmas special.

The newsreader is one of six celebrities taking part in the festive spin-off of Strictly, but she has found that even training for just one dance can be gruelling. Nugent told viewers on Monday that she was "battered and bruised" with a rib injury, something familiar to Casualty star Harman who had to drop out of the main series quarter final with a broken rib.

What, how, and why?

BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent signed up for a taste of the Strictly Come Dancing glitz and glam when she joined the Christmas special cast - but has admitted she has also been given a glimpse of the tougher side of the show which has left her "battered and bruised".

Nugent is one of the star cast in the Christmas Day episode of Strictly, where she will be partnered by pro dancer Graziano Di Prima.

The episode is pre-recorded ahead of Christmas so Nugent and her co-stars have already completed their Strictly experience, but when she returned to BBC Breakfast on Monday the journalist shared that there was a tough side to the show's sparkle.

She said: "It's kind of like a Strictly boot camp but yeah it's fine, I've survived, bit battered and bruised but I'm ok." Her co-host Jon Kay added: "She really is a bit battered and bruised."

Nugent then told how she had suffered an injury to her rib, just like Nigel Harman who had to drop out of the main series after breaking a rib in training. She said: "I'm being brave, I think I've got the traditional sour rib injury," and asked whether she was feeling better, admitted: "Not quite. I'm being very brave, don't make me laugh. Don't anyone make me laugh. It hurts too much."

Harman and his partner Katya Jones had been expected to go further in the competition, but had to quit hours before the live quarter final when he broke a rib in training. The couple were back in the studio for Strictly's final on Saturday, which was won by Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, and Harman gave an update on his injury: "It's progressing well. I'm a bit achy. I have about another month of recovery, but aside from that, I'm fine."

Strictly fans can see Nugent competing against historian Dan Snow, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, Waterloo Road's Tillie Amartey, ex-rugby player Danny Cipriani and Sugababe Keisha Buchanan on Christmas Day.

What else has been happening on Strictly Come Dancing?

Strictly 2023 winners Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola have finally addressed the romance rumours that have been following them for the entire series, denying that they are dating. They appeared on Monday's This Morning, where host Josie Gibson said: "Guys I've got to ask, because the chemistry between you is magic, we've seen you on that dancefloor and it was so beautiful, is there any romance between you guys? Were the rumours true, or not?"

They both laughed and Leach tried to shrug off the question, saying: "Honestly, we've just been having the most amazing time dancing. We've built a really strong bond and a friendship that will last forever." But Doyle refused to let them off the hook, saying: "It's 100% a romance." Leach and Coppola both laughed again as they said in unison: "No, no!"

Strictly Come Dancing's Christmas special airs on BBC One at 4.40pm on Christmas Day.

Read more: Strictly Come Dancing

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• Strictly 2023 finale's viewing figures are out (Digital Spy, 2 min read)

• Brian Cox on why he turned down Strictly Come Dancing offer (Sky News, 2 min read)