Yahoo News Strictly's Aliona Vilani 'taking legal action' against former partner Johnny Ball after fix claims
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Aliona Vilani has hit back at Johnny Ball after he accused her of faking an injury during their 2012 appearance on the show.
The 33-year-old has ‘strongly’ denied the allegations and revealed she is now taking legal action against her former partner.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday last week, the father of Strictly’s It Takes Two presenter Zoe Ball, claimed the dancer pretended to fracture her ankle so she could go on holiday.
He also claimed that his replacement partner, Iveta Lukosiute, choreographed far more difficult routines as part of a ‘fix’ to have him eliminated early from the show.
Aliona has since posted a statement on Twitter that read: ‘I am aware that Johnny Ball has made allegations regarding my fractured ankle during 2012 SCD, which I strongly deny.
‘I have instructed solicitors and am taking legal advice in relation to his allegations. It’s therefore not appropriate to comment further at this time.’
Aliona and Johnny were partnered together on the tenth series of the show in 2012.
Speaking of their time together last week, he said: ‘Aliona fell on a flat floor in flat shoes and said she had broken her leg.
‘The next day she flew to the South of France for a pre-arranged weekend with her boyfriend.’
Having left the competition in week two, he added of his replacement partner: ‘When I was knocked out she said, “That’s funny, my contract ends on Tuesday.”‘
Aliona first appeared on Strictly in 2009, when she was partnered with Rav Wilding.
She also partnered with Gregg Wallace, and Tony Jacklin, and was named the runner-up with THe One Show host Matt Baker in 2010.
She is the first dancer to win the competition twice after winning with McFly’s Harry Judd in 2011 and The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness in 2015, her last year.
Aliona left the show to spend more time with her husband, Vincent Kavanagh. The pair welcomed their first child, a daughter Bella, in July this year.
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