Strictly Come Dancing's Toyah Willcox shares her journey of learning to walk again after horror surgery


Strictly Come Dancing star Toyah Willcox has bravely shared her challenging journey of learning to walk again while preparing for her debut on the popular BBC dance show. The 66 year old singer, who is participating in this year's competition, spoke candidly about how her past health battles have played a part in her current stint.

Partnered with professional dancer Neil Jones, Toyah faced her first dance a tango with determination, even though she disclosed during rehearsals that certain moves could be problematic due to her medical history. In the footage released before their first live performance, she reflected on the surgery she underwent at age 51 to correct a leg length discrepancy.

"You have to twist your body - it's all about pivoting, which is something I've avoided for about 30 years." Toyah noted when speaking about the dance. She highlighted potential challenges in training, confessing, "Obviously, there's gonna be moves you give me that my body is just gonna go 'stop now'."

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Toyah continued, recalling the necessary post-surgery rehabilitation: "When I was 51 because I was born with one leg just under 2 inches longer than the other, I had corrective surgery to make my legs the same length, but then I had to learn to walk again.", reports the Mirror.

The colourful performer, known for overcoming various health obstacles including a twisted spine at birth, isn't shy about discussing her experiences. Referencing the major surgery she underwent back in 2009, Toyah has previously described how it "reinvented" her.

The Belfast Telegraph revealed that, two years on, Toyah underwent a hip replacement. The publication detailed how her right hip, previously supported just by cartilage and muscle causing inflammation and walking difficulties, was treated through surgery.

Toyah Willcox in a scene from Strictly Come Dancing.
Toyah Willcox in a scene from Strictly Come Dancing.

Reflecting on her medical journey, she expressed: "I've had a titanium hip replacement and my leg shortened, so now it's the same size as the other one. I no longer have to wear special shoes."

Toyah revealed back then: "It took me two months to learn to walk again." The star also indicated in a 2011 interview that the procedure afforded her "full mobility for the first time" in her life, which enabled her to navigate stages with an unprecedented freedom.

During a conversation with the Daily Mail in the same year, Toyah disclosed her congenital condition of having "shallow hip sockets" and a discrepancy in leg length. She candidly discussed the impact of her surgical experience, stating: "In the past two years my right hip became a nightmare so I had a replacement. I had to use crutches and learn to walk again, but it transformed my life."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and Iplayer