Strictly star Will Bayley’s feet have been “cut to ribbons” by dancing shoes during training.
The Paralympic table-tennis champ, 31, suffers from arthrogryposis, a condition that severely restricts his use of his hands, wrists and feet.
He said: “I have shoes specially made and we were trying out different sizes. They were just too tight and my toenail was digging into my skin.
“I took my shoe off and there was blood pouring everywhere. It looked really bad.
"They do need to be tight to give support but these cut me to ribbons. I feel like a dancer now.
“There’s that motivational picture of a ballerina with a pretty shoe on one picture and another picture of her feet covered in blood. So that’s me now.”
Will and partner Janette Manrara, 35, are in the top half of the leader board having scored 26 for their quickstep.
But Janette said they will have to work hard with dances featuring lifts because of Will’s joints.
Will, winner of Oly-mpic silver at London 2012 and gold at Rio 2016, said: “It was just such a massive feeling of joy when I was dancing.
“I find it fun rather than frightening. I just want to make the most of each dance because you’re not going to do them again unless you end up in the dance-off.
“I’m working on my core so I can get my abs out. I 100% want to show them off when they start popping out more.”
