hello .. just popping over the fence to say that's one of my most favourite photos of Gio, if it was a choice between flowers and the photo, I know which one I'd rather have

btw, I'm interested in forum names so is your name anything to do with the film "Ladies in Lavender"


it was a lovely message to Laura on Saturday and I feel sure they've been in touch privately

have my fingers and toes crossed that Laura is OK to dance on Saturday as I'll be so disappointed not to see more of Gio's superb choreography

Judging from Laura's Instagram Story shot (another foot leg shot with support tape and the pink foam roller which is her new friend) .. she is either at a Physio or in the Training room today. She is in her usual gym wear ....

It is indeed a photo that is fairly high on the Gorgeous-ometer.

Yes by the way to the forum name and film reference. Lavender had already been taken as a forum name.. and any film with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench is a winner in my book.

Why on earth wouldn't Laura tell Gio she'd needed her ankle strapped before they danced the Quickstep, how is he supposed to choreograph safely It doesn't sound like communication between them is as good as I thought

It's not Gio's or the producers fault but I've seen them taking some unfair blame. It sounds as I thought that she was told no before Saturday but was so determined to dance they had to arrange for second opinions from doctors and physios to cover themselves before finally refusing to let her dance. She should have been at home resting up on Saturday rather than hanging round the studio in no fit state, must have been hard for everyone.

It's reckless for her to continue. It sounds like Laura's lost all perspective as to what's really important and I feel very sad about that. She's had some wonderful Strictly moments including her beautiful Waltz.

Hey, where's all this from Ochre? Has there been some definite news? Is it a case of competitiveness taking over from commonsense?

What a bloody mess this has all been! From Georgia's leftover 'stuff', to the social media responses, the DO (of course), and now a seemingly (???) avoidable injury

Aches and pains are normal when you are training hard and are not used to it. An experienced dancer probably would have had it checked sooner. I don''t think it reflects badly on their relationship at all. She knew how much Giovanni was looking forward to doing the jive. I am sure she struggled on longer than she should have for his sake.

There are some parallels with Greg. He had a similar wrist injury, had a (presumably) steroid injection and went ahead with a fairly risky (just my opinion given the wrist injury) lift.

Laura, in effect, asked if she could have an injection to take the inflammation down (and pain) and jive anyway. Quite rightly she was told no.

Reading her blog, she did not train on Thursday, Friday or Saturday last week but was just in consultation with physios etc, and on Saturday that consultation was at the studio. Two doctors and two physios sounds a bit OTT but I am going to point the finger at BBC being risk averse and getting second opinions all over the place. Just a guess, but the Anastacia health scare has probably made them gold-plate any health-related decisions. The mysterious BBC rule book may now say that a health-related bye now requires a second opinion (to avoid press accusations of special treatment which did swirl around after Tameka left).

It sounds more than ever that Laura is getting close supervision and no risks are being taken. I am reassured. Its not reckless at all, I don't think to take light exercise under physio guidance. I am very very sure that the Beeb will not let her dance if its risky, as they will wheel out their small portable army of two doctors and two physios and take an informed view.

They trained hard for two days last week, and the injury flared up. It is a real, real shame but it happens. It is no-ones fault.

I will say that, if two doctors, two physios, and also a physio this week have told Laura to continue for now... then she is just being sensible by following their advice.

Laura and Gio are both human and it wouldn't surprise me if both of them are a bit frustrated and fed up with being so unlucky.

It's what I've derived from Laura's Glamour blog Dervla, LL has linked it on the previous page. My opinions on the info Laura's given, others will have a different view.

It does sound to me like her competitiveness has taken over from common sense though, yes I accept Laura thought she could manage the pain and didn't realise how serious it would get but not informing Gio initially, training, working and socialising as hard as she was the first half of last week does sound reckless And then when told how serious her injury was to beg them to give her a heavy painkiller so she could dance when she'd been warned she could tear a ligament was crazy, thank goodness TPTB said no

Wouldn't surprise me at all. She keeps making that point and all the signs were from mid-week that both of them were really looking forward to it.

Oh, ta, I'd somehow missed the Glamour blog...

I agree with you. She should be profoundly grateful that the doctors told her no. Much as we all love the show; as much as she clearly does; as much as she might not want to let down Gio/fans/family etc, it's simply not worth risking a serious or lasting injury.

The year Patrick Robinson was in, he buggered his wrist doing roller-skating for a fecking VT. Salsa lifts had to be changed on the fly to allow them to be one-handed.

(PS i realise now I'd skipped a whole page of this thread, full of interesting comments and news. Bad fan. Bad)

She asked if she could 'do a Greg'. Doctors said no. As you say, Ochre, thank goodness.

I don't think she was crazy to train hard on Tuesday and Wednesday for their jive. Her ankle was bandaged ( under a sock) in the pic where he is holding her up and she is saying 'her feet are on fire'. So Gio knew that she had some level of pain.. and then by close of play Wednesday it had really flared up.

Its a real shame. Its tough on the contestants who are managing a day job like Laura alongside training - but lots of them (Daisy, Rinder, Greg, Ed, Ore) are doing just that.

She had it strapped by the physio before they danced the Quickstep, why wouldn't she tell Gio that.

It sounds to me that Laura's 's been so caught up with wanting to dance the Jive and also compete and stay in she was downplaying it and knew Gio and others would tell her they had to take it easier otherwise. Thank goodness no permanent damage.

Expecting a stage managed swift exit for them now whereas I would have seen a withdrawal as the sensible and dignified option with an interview on ITT to show their wonderful highlights, albeit too brief.

Read the Glamour blog a few times and just really feel for her. Yes, it was naughty if she withheld any info from Gio but I can understand why and probably would do the same in her shoes (especially if a medic suggested it was just a niggle). Anyway, it really is out of her hands now, there is no way she will be allowed to train/perform until passed medically fit to do so. Still keeping a bit hopeful and also trust they will be spared any more time-wasting VTs (they are bound to use physio footage for this anyway).

I do love that photo of Gio carrying her (in his personalised trackie bottoms )

They were out at Burn the Floor on Wednesday night and Laura at Abbey Road Studios the previous night after training. . . wish she'd slowed down. Gio can only go on what Laura tells him. Yes hindsight is a wonderful thing but I do think there was recklessness involved. It was the begging for the painkiller despite the risk of permanent damage I thought was crazy and a complete loss of perspective. Dancing on Strictly shouldn't matter that much.

I've said before I thought Laura had the right mix of investment in the show and retaining a healthy perspective but she seems to me to have lost that. It also sounds like she's desperate to stay in beyond this week . . . how much do I wish it had turned out differently for them and they had a chance to fulfil the potential in their partnership.

Loads of them suffer from aches and pains. When you are young and fit you think you can beat anything. I think Laura may be one of these people who does not like to complain while other people complain about the slightest thing. I would have done the same. Don't be too hard on her.

Laura said that she didn't tell Gio 'as it was only a small twinge'. So it didn't seem a big deal. Probably just one more thing on a list of quite a few aches and pains at this point in the show.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday everything suggest that Gio was in the picture about the pain. It went from 'a little sore' to 'feet on fire' over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday. And the BBC videos taken on Tuesday and Wednesday show Laura saying 'ouch' and hopping etc. So the most likely thing is that both Laura and Gio knew her ankle hurt, they tried to work through it, but it flared up. Its really sad.

Pulling out mid week will put one of her friends, like Daisy, at risk on Saturday and it would not be great for Gio. I am sure that Laura will try to make something work (within the limits of physio advice) for the sake of Gio, her friends and the show.

As am I but you also have to be pragmatic and there are other people's professional reputations on the line. I've seen the producers criticised in this thread and Gio elsewhere online by more than one person. That he was selfish and should have been more careful, desperately unfair to him.

That makes sense to me now of that funny atmosphere on the Saturday show. It sounds as though there was a lot of drama surrounding Laura's decision, and that might play strangely in everyone's heads. Possibly. The lassitude and the odd mood in the Clauditorium might in part have been a reaction to the uncertainty and feeling around Will She/Won't She.

Laura's known of a problem with that ankle since before the first live show and was concerned enough on Quickstep Saturday to see the physio. If she'd told Gio then and spoken to the producers it would have been early enough to change to another dance rather than commencing high impact Jive training.

I don't see Laura's withdrawal as relevant to Daisy. Hopefully Daisy will get a post dance off bounce and with a strong dance will be safe.

Will she be dancing this week

I had thought the same.

Just for a bit of perspective... Laura will probably have thought her blog needs to emphasize that a) the injury was genuine and b) she didn't have an option of dancing on Saturday and c) she didn't want to let Gio or the viewers down.

So the language is a bit highly-coloured. 'begging' for an injection probably = asked if it was possible.

I think all the remaining contestants really, really want to stay in the competition - Laura is clearly committed but I wouldn't say any more than, say, Greg, Ore or Daisy. I kind of agree that around this stage all of them start getting a bit glittery-eyed though.

As yet unknown... I don't think we know if she's been training??

Another factor for Laura in pressing (unwisely?) past her pain might be Will Young's early departure... She maybe feels even more that she owes the show her commitment after the numbers were unexpectedly thinned.

Conjecture on my part. And no offence to Will or Will fans. (I was on his side in his choice)