Strictly Come Dancing's JJ Chalmers
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Strictly Come Dancing: JJ Chalmers ‘headed for surgery after he leaves show’

The star has been in pain during training

Strictly Come Dancing star JJ Chalmers will go under the knife after he leaves the show.

The ex royal marine revealed he’ll be heading straight for hospital after the 18th series of the programme wraps.

JJ said he will be having an op after his leg became inflamed by warzone shrapnel during dance training.

The 33-year-old was injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011. As well as suffering injuries to his face, JJ also lost two fingers and his right elbow disintegrated.

JJ Chalmers has been partnered with Amy Dowden
Strictly star JJ Chalmers is partnered with Amy Dowden for the series (Credit: Strictly Come Dancing YouTube)

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He has admitted he has been in constant agony during training with pro partner Amy Dowden.

But brave JJ has danced on through the pain anyway.

I’m not going to let it slow me down.

JJ told to The Sun: “My body is covered in scars and it’s full of shrapnel and frag and stuff from Afghanistan, which can sit quite happily for many years without any real issues. But the problem is, this one has been exacerbated.”

He also explained that the discomfort can be worsened by either physical effort or exhaustion.

JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden
Strictly’s JJ’s injury issue has been exacerbated (Credit: BBC)

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Strictly star JJ Chalmers on the pain he experiences

JJ continued: “Unfortunately, what it does is it looks for the quickest way up to the surface of your skin, which is where the scar is. So it’s about a six-inch scar that’s pretty inflamed. It’s a very tender, stinging pain.”

He also noted that he experiences pain when dancer Amy presses up against it as they dance.

Nonetheless, JJ has been consulting with his surgeon regularly via FaceTime. And he also take antibiotics to treat the infection. Furthermore, he has become used to surgery over the past several years. Indeed, he has not gone a year without being operated on since 2014.

JJ reflected: “I have the privilege of a life to have, so I’ll be getting it dug out in January, once my world calms down a little.”

JJ Chalmers has been partnered with Amy Dowden
Will JJ Chalmers and Amy make the final? (Credit: BBC)

JJ and Amy picked up their joint highest points tally of the series last weekend. They scored 25 for their Quickstep Viennese Waltz.

They also racked up a 25 the week before. But they currently have the lowest average score of any duo left in the competition.

Will they make it through another weeks as JJ battles the pain?

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One, Saturday December 5, from 7.25pm. 

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer