Peta Murgatroyd Drops Out of DWTS Season 21 Due to Ankle Injury

Season 21 of Dancing with the Stars kicks off

By Jean Bentley Sep 01, 2015 1:37 AMTags
D23 Expo, VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY, PETA MURGATROYDGetty Images

Woman down!

Dancing With the Stars pro Peta Murgatroyd has been forced to withdraw from the competition before Season 21 has even begun, thanks to a nasty ankle injury that will require surgery and two months of recovery.

The DWTS veteran announced the sad news via Twitter, revealing that she has anguished for three days over leaving partner Andy Grammer. But since Murgatroyd requires immediate surgery to repair her injury, she has to bow out.

"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," she wrote, "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!"

She'll be sidelined for six to eight weeks, which she acknowledges is "nothing in the grand scheme of things." In fact, you'll probably see her dance before Season 21 is through.

"I hope to be back before the season ends, doing group numbers and of course cheering on Andy and my friends in audience," she added. "It killed me to let someone else take care of Andy, who is such a genuine loving guy. But I know he will be in good hands."

The 29-year-old dancer thanked fans for their support, but reassured them it won't be too long before she's back in the DWTS ballroom.

"I will miss the show so much but just know that I will come better back than ever, and with a brand new ankle," she wrote. "Thank you for all the love today, I loved reading all of your supportive tweets, even though I couldn't say anything until now. I will also keep you all up to date on my progress and of course you will see some silly ‘before and after' surgery pictures. Lastly, I love you all and thank you for always being so positive for me."

Andy Grammer is joined in the season 21 cast by Paula Deen, Chaka Khan, Nick Carter, Bindi Irwin, Victor Espinoza, Hayes Grier, Kim ZolciakAlexa PenaVega, and Carlos PenaVega.

The full list of stars and their pro partners will be announced on Good Morning America on September 2, and Dancing With the Stars season 21 premieres Monday, Sept. 14 on ABC.