Robert Webb QUITS Strictly Come Dancing due to ill health

Robert Webb has withdrawn from Strictly Come Dancing.

The comedian, 49, announced his decision on Wednesday night, admitting he had ‘bitten off more than he could chew’, having an ongoing heart condition and two years after undergoing open-heart surgery.

His pro partner, Dianne Buswell, will also be leaving the competition.

Robert said of the decision: ‘I’m extremely sorry to have to announce that I’m withdrawing from Strictly Come Dancing due to ill health.

‘Two years ago I had open heart surgery and although I believed I was fit enough to take on Strictly and its demanding schedule, it became clear that I had bitten off way more than I could chew for this stage in my recovery.

‘I had begun to feel symptoms that led me to seek an urgent consultation with my heart specialist, and it was her view that it would be better for the sake of my health to step back from the show.’

He went on: ‘I’m proud of the three dances that Dianne Buswell and I managed to perform and deeply regret having to let her down like this. I couldn’t have wished for a more talented partner or more patient teacher, and it’s a measure of Dianne’s professionalism and kindness that I was able to get as far as I did.

‘Thanks too to everyone at home who voted for us. It was always going to be a difficult mountain to climb (for one thing it’s made of glitter so it’s very skiddy) and I’ve been especially touched by the support from fellow heart patients.

‘I think perhaps I was too eager to impress them. They will know that recovery doesn’t always go in a straight line, and I hope they’re not too disappointed that I ran into the limits of my resilience much sooner than I’d hoped.

‘I leave knowing that Strictly viewers are in very safe hands and I’ll be cheering for my brother and sister contestants all the way to Christmas.

‘Despite this sad ending, it has been a genuine honour to be part of this huge, joyful and barking mad TV show. Long may it continue.’

Dianne added: ‘As a massive fan of Robert’s I was delighted to find out that he was joining the Strictly family. On top of this, to find out he was my partner was the icing on the cake.

‘We made a great team, worked hard and had a good laugh along the way. I am so proud of the three amazing dances we produced.

‘I know Robert had a lot more to give to the competition but his health of course comes first and I wish him a speedy recovery. I feel lucky to have danced with him and to call him a friend.’

Sarah James, Strictly Come Dancing Executive Producer, said: ‘Although we are so sad that Robert has withdrawn from the show we completely understand and support his decision, health always comes first.

‘Despite their Strictly journey coming to an end earlier than anyone would have hoped, Robert and Dianne really made their mark on the competition, with three unforgettable dances choreographed superbly by the brilliant Dianne.

‘They have been a wonderful partnership and we’d like to thank them for the commitment, creativity and joy they brought to the show. Everyone involved in Strictly Come Dancing sends Robert their love and best wishes for his continued recovery.’

Strictly Come Dancing will continue this Saturday with 12 couples taking to the Ballroom floor to impress the judges and the voting public.

Robert spoke recently that he was left barely able to walk last year after the emergency surgery for his congenital heart defect.

The Peep Show star learned the condition was made worse from his ten-year battle with alcohol.

Speaking to The Sun, Robert told how he saw participating in the BBC series as the latest step on his road to recovery.

He said: ‘When I first came out of hospital I could not walk to the end of the street without help. I couldn’t even lift a kettle for four weeks.

‘So gradually you build up again until you are doing longer and longer walks. Then seven months later the walks turn into runs — and then you become a dancer.

‘This was not the first time they asked, and I knew there would be a collision between me and Strictly very likely to happen in the future. But it goes back to the heart surgery — now I think I have got something to offer this show.’

Robert explained he had been feeling poorly for quite a while and went for a check up in March of last year just before lockdown only to discover how serious his condition was.

The actor said his condition is a birth defect with one of his heart valves having prolapsed instead of ‘opening and shutting nicely’.

He said his heart thought he was running up a hill while he was asleep and he never noticed as he simply put his symptoms down to tiredness.

Robert saw a cardiologist who told him he had severe regurgitation and that blood that should have been flowing throughout his body was going ‘backwards’.

The TV star had open heart surgery after the cardiologist said his heart would fail in the next two to three months without it. 

Robert said the surgery motivated him to change his lifestyle, starting with ditching alcohol.

The actor admitted he feels he had been slowly killing himself through drinking and had increased his consumption to the point where he felt he was addicted.      

Robert started running and also took up weight-training, meaning he was fitter than ever when he got the call for Strictly. 

Still, training with his professional partner Dianne didn’t come easy and he has described rehearsals as a lot of hard work, often working from 8am to 6pm.