Peta Murgatroyd is out of the competition - for now! The "Dancing With the Stars" pro, who was partnered with singer/songwriter Andy Grammar for the upcoming season, has been forced to withdraw from the competition due to a leg injury.
"I learned that my ankle injury is at a stage that needs surgery immediately," she wrote in a personal post. "I'm so sorry but I have to step out of Season 21 of DWTS. This is obviously one of the toughest decisions I've ever made and I seriously struggled with the idea of not being able to dance, but I know my health does come first, and the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can be back in the ballroom for all of you!"
The 29-year-old, who spent the past three months performing on the live DWTS tour, had already began rehearsals with Grammar, but told People that one day she could tell "something was not right" after putting on her heels.
"I wanted to check it out properly and make sure I was good to go for the season," she said. "I got my MRI results back and it was a really bad diagnosis. It showed I had 4 torn ligaments and a floating piece of bone at the back of my ankle. My doctor said I needed surgery and I knew I needed to put my health first if I want to keep dancing on the show into my 30s."
She will undergo surgery in September and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks, which she acknowledges is "nothing in the grand scheme of things." As for her partner, Murgatroyd said, "It was awful telling Andy. He had specifically asked to be partnered with me and I felt like I was letting him down. But he understood and has been a great guy about it."
"I'm just looking forward to being back on my feet as soon as possible and being a part of the show again," Murgatroyd continued. "I'm so in love with the show and I'm a very competitive person. It's really sad. It's super frustrating but I'm going to fine and I'm going to be back in week eight or nine of the show."
So, who will be Murgatroyd's replacement? People reported that Grammar's new partner will be announced on Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." For season 21, Grammar is joined by Paula Deen, Chaka Khan, Nick Carter, Bindi Irwin, Victor Espinoza, Kim Zolciak, Alexa PenaVega and her husband Carlos PenaVega.
