Billy Monger, Double Amputee, Set to Compete in Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

Double amputee Billy Monger is scheduled to participate as a contestant in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. The 25-year-old TV presenter and former racing driver, hailing from Charlwood in Surrey, will compete alongside professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova in the program, which is slated for broadcast on BBC 1 on 25 December. Monger had both legs amputated following a near-fatal crash in 2017. Commenting on his upcoming challenge, he stated, “the thought of donning sequins in front of Craig Revel Horwood fills me with a fear I’ve never experienced before”. He further remarked: “This is about as far from my comfort zone as it can get.” Monger added, “My family are big Strictly fans, so I’m doing it for them.” He also quipped, “I’m just hoping my leg doesn’t fall off mid-dance.” Other celebrities confirmed to compete in the Christmas special include comedian Josh Widdicombe, drag artist Tayce, presenter Vogue Williams, Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and actor Tamsin Outhwaite. Billy Monger sustained critical injuries in a high-speed collision while racing in Formula 4, which resulted in the amputation of both his legs. Despite this, he persevered in his racing career, advocating for disabled and non-disabled drivers to race together. He was awarded the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and was the subject of a Bafta-nominated BBC documentary about his journey. He currently works as a presenter and pundit on Channel 4’s coverage of Formula One and the Paralympics. Monger revealed that he spent the preceding 12 months training 20 hours a week for an Ironman world record charity challenge, which he successfully completed in October in Hawaii. He finished the 226.3km (140.6 miles) course in 14 hours 23 minutes 56 seconds, exceeding the previous record by more than two hours, while raising funds for Comic Relief. In the same month, he received a 49-day driving ban following a separate crash in Surrey.