Strictly star Johannes Radebe's personal heartbreak that saw him nearly quit show

As Johannes Radebe shuts down rumours that he's quitting Strictly Come Dancing, the Mirror examines the heartbreaking reason he very nearly stepped back ahead of last year's series

As an all-time favourite of the BBC dancing competition, rumours swirling around Johannes Radebe's future on Strictly caused concern for viewers.

Fans were left dismayed over reports that the 37-year-old dancer was leaving the famous ballroom amid allegations of him being 'overwhelmed' and set for other ventures. After ending up in the dreaded dance-off on Sunday night, following an emotional Waltz number to Whitney Houston’s classic hit, I Will Always Love You, Johannes and Gladiator partner Montell Douglas have stayed to dance another day - and it looks like there are no plans for him to foxtrot away from the studio anytime soon.

Despite the speculation, Johannes has since come forward to declare he is "not going nowhere". However, last year he came very close to taking a step back from the glitz and glamour of the dancefloor for a tragic reason. A terrible family tragedy before the 2023 competition left Johannes wondering if he'd be able to continue.

During a February episode of Jessie and Lennie Ware's Table Manners podcast, Johannes revealed that his cousin had sadly died by suicide, mere weeks before he was set to be on-screen. To make matters more complicated, Johannes was last year paired with tennis pro, Annabel Croft, who had recently lost her husband, former America's Cup yachtsman, Mel Coleman, following a devastating cancer diagnosis.

With his own bereavement still painfully fresh, Johannes feared he wouldn't have the capacity to support grieving Annabel, and considered taking some 'time out'. Johannes shared: "When they said I'm dancing with her, I was like, 'What are they trying to achieve?' And I say that because two weeks before I started, I buried my cousin who committed suicide.

"I didn't feel anything, I wasn't as excited as I normally would be, because I was like, this is supposed to be the most exciting period, I've just come back off a very successful tour. But I had to then go home [South Africa]."

He continued: "I could have stayed out there for longer but after we buried him, I had to fly back to the UK and do my audiobook. That was hard, and when Strictly started, I was just like, 'Okay, just felt like I was going through the motions'. So, you can imagine when they said the partners I was just like 'ok great'. I just really wanted to deal with it, but you never allow yourself the time to deal with whatever you are going through in your life.

"And yeah, they said we think that you're the person to partner with this woman. I just said to myself, they're reaching. I remember calling my agent, I was like, 'I don't know what's going to happen. Maybe we should say that I shouldn't get a partner this year because I just really need some time out'."

Ultimately, Johannes decided to go ahead with Strictly, and he and Annabel, who finished in 4th place, bonded over their losses, becoming great friends in the process. Johannes reflected: "I mean, a lot of people say, 'Oh Johannes, you helped Annabel' but no, Annabel helped me."

Earlier this week, The Sun reported that Johannes is planning to leave Strictly next year to pursue other ventures, with a source telling the publication: "Johannes is hugely loved on the show and there isn't an atom of bad feeling about him leaving. Both he and the show's bosses realise he is overwhelmed with work as a result of his soaring popularity and wish him all the best. But nobody can ever get so big that they continually take up too much limelight - the star of the show must always be the show itself."

This followed the announcement that the popular choreographer will lead the cast of Kinky Boots: the Musical on its UK and Ireland tour from January to July, all while reportedly working on a film adaptation of his memoir, JoJo: Finally Home.

Johannes has since addressed the speculation in an Instagram post, telling followers: "I'm not going nowhere! The story isn't true - I love @bbcstrictly and I want to do this beautiful show for as long as they want me - and the body will allow. I have Kinky Boots and other work in the pipeline yes but nothing will take me away. Love you all Jojo Xx."

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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