How Peta Murgatroyd Got Injured During Dancing With The Stars
On Oct. 12, 2020, Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd was absent during the press lineup, leaving many fans speculating about her whereabouts. She later revealed in a tweet that she pulled her neck during her '80s dance number with celeb partner Vernon Davis and immediately had to get it checked out, Entertainment Tonight reported. The two performed a tango set to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."
Murgatroyd thanked her fans for all the support and said she was excited to get back to dancing next week. Despite landing in the bottom two, the judges saved Murgatroyd and Davis, so the two will get a shot at redemption next week, according to Us Weekly.
This episode's theme of '80s night was definitely a fun one, but it came with some risks too, as judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Entertainment Tonight. "It's the '80s. There's hazard pay involved, with the wigs and stuff. You could definitely tweak a neck with '80s [routines]," Inaba said. "But I hope she's OK, most importantly... she'll be dancing next week so I hope she's okay and takes care of her neck."
Peta Murgatroyd isn't the only one who's had a rough start this 'DWTS' season
Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars has already had its fair share of challenges and Peta Murgatroyd's injury is just the latest. In the era of COVID-19, the show had to make quite a few changes from its normal format. For starters, there is no live audience this year to follow COVID-19 protocols, and instead, the show opted for fake cheering sounds, which fans were not keen to. Plus, the show said goodbye to longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, replacing them with television personality and model Tyra Banks. DWTS veteran Derek Hough is replacing Len Goodman as a judge.
There have also been a few injuries so far in the season, with Murgatroyd's being the most recent. People reported that former Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe injured her ankle during a rehearsal for the first week, almost preventing her from competing. Like Bristowe, Murgatroyd said she will be soldiering on.
"Sorry everyone tonight on @DancingABC I was absent from our spots after our dance," Murgatroyd's tweet read. "I pulled my neck and had to run to therapy. I'll be ok but I needed to get it seen to ASAP. Thanks for the concern. Love you all and I'm looking forward to next week."