Greg Rutherford has spoken about the “horribly painful” injury that caused him to miss the Dancing On Ice final almost two weeks ago.
The 37-year-old Olympian announced he had “effectively [given himself] a C-section” when he tore his abdominal muscles after sliding through the legs of professional skaters Brendyn Hatfield and Colin Grafton.
He withdrew on the morning of the final of the ITV show after being injured in rehearsals on 10 March.
Image: Mr Rutherford and his ice skating partner Vanessa James had to pull out of the final. Pic: Kieron McCarron/ITV/Shutterstock
Mr Rutherford shared the news on Instagram saying his “horribly painful” injury would be operated on “today” (21 March).
“I’ve been a bit busy and obviously just recovering from the initial injury before I had the surgery that I hadn’t got round to really talking about it,” he said, as he walked in the woods with his dogs and partner Susie Verrill, 35.
“Long story short, I leapt through the legs of Brendyn and Colin and managed to tear all of my abs as well as herniate. So I effectively gave myself a C-section.”
Rutherford, who was second favourite going into the final, also showed fans the moment he sustained the injury on the rink.
More on Dancing On Ice
Related Topics:
“It was horribly painful,” he added. “It needs to be operated on today and then I’ll be properly on the mend.”
Image: The moment of the injury. Pic: Instagram
With the former long-jumper unable to perform with professional partner Vanessa James, it was left to Made In Chelsea star Miles Nazaire, broadcaster Adele Roberts and soap star Ryan Thomas to battle it out for the title.
Advertisement
In the end, it was Thomas, and his skating partner Amani Fancy, who were crowned champions of the 2024 series, for a dramatic warrior-themed routine and their interpretation of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s famous Bolero.
In his winner’s speech Thomas dedicated the trophy to Rutherford, who had been top of the leaderboard before disaster struck.
Rutherford congratulated the former Coronation Street actor on his “spectacular” win.
“Well done, brother, I’m glad I’ve got a friend for life in you,” he had said, adding: “He’s had his fair share of ups and downs during his process, so to come out winning is utterly spectacular.”
Before retiring from athletics in 2018 due to an ankle injury, Rutherford won a gold medal in the long jump at the London 2012 Olympic Games. He also claimed bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A woman who was charged with selling Friends star Matthew Parry the dose of the drug that killed him has agreed to plead guilty.
Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen”, is the fifth and final defendant to strike a plea deal with prosecutors, avoiding a trial that was set to take place in September.
The 42-year-old agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including providing the Ketamine that led to Perry’s death, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
She agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including providing the Ketamine that led to Perry’s death, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Prosecutors had cast Sangha, a dual US and UK national, as a prolific drug dealer known to her customers as the “Ketamine Queen”, often using the term in court documents and even including it in the official name of the case.
Image: Actor Matthew Perry in 2015. File pic: Reuters
She agreed to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Sangha will officially change her plea to guilty at an upcoming hearing, where sentencing will be scheduled, prosecutors said.
More from Ents & Arts
Image: Dr. Mark Chavez, a physician from San Diego, who is charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose. Pic: AP
She is facing up to 45 years in prison.
Sangha and a doctor named Salvador Plasencia, who signed his own plea deal in June, had been the primary targets of the investigation.
Three other defendants – Mark Chavez, who it was claimed bought the drug from Sangha, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Flemin – agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia.
Image: Friends became one of the most popular TV shows in the world in the 1990s and 2000s
Prosecutors allege Chavez funnelled ketamine to Plasencia, securing some of the drug from a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription.
In one instance, prosecutors allege that Plasencia “charged Perry $2,000 (£1,500) a vial that cost Dr Chavez approximately $12 (£9)”.
Perry died in his home in October 2023, aged 54, after getting ketamine from his regular doctor for treatment of depression, which is an increasingly common use for the surgical anaesthetic.
The actor was taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, according to court documents.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:15
Sharon Osbourne pays emotional tribute to Ozzy
The BBC reportedthe show would reveal the “extraordinary rollercoaster” of the Osbournes’ lives as Ozzy tries “heroically” to get fit enough to perform again.
It’s said to feature “unique and intimate access” to the family, including Ozzy’s children, Jack and Kelly, who appeared in the reality series that made them household names in the early 2000s.
The Black Sabbath frontman, who had Parkinson’s disease, died last month – just a few weeks after his final all-star gig at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
British actor Terence Stamp – who famously played General Zod in Superman and Superman II – has died at the age of 87.
The Oscar-nominated actor, who was born in London’s East End, also starred in hits such as Theorem, A Season in Hell, and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
He formed one of Britain’s most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in “Far From the Madding Crowd” in 1967.
In a statement, his family said: “He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.