Global News

Tuesday August 31, 2010

Dancing With the Stars finalists Tamara Jaber, Rob Palmer and Alex Fevola. Source: HWT Image Library

THE Dancing with the Stars grand final is looking like the battle of the walking wounded.

The celebrity couples who have made it through to the dance-off on Sunday are all carrying debilitating injuries -- Rob Palmer, Tamara Jaber and Alex Fevola's dance partner Arsen Kishishian are all carrying nasty back injuries.

"I have been more injured over the past 10 weeks than I have been in the past 25 years of playing rugby," Palmer said. "I rolled my ankle to start with, and then once I got over that I snapped a ligament in my shoulder.

"I was a bit down for a couple of weeks and then on Sunday (during rehearsal) I felt my lower back go. It is an old rugby injury."

The better Homes and Gardens favourite said he almost had to pull out of last weekend's show.

"I called the physio to come in and have a look because I was a bit worried," he said.

"the muscles had spasmed around my spine to protect it and then when he loosened them up I got off the table and fell to my knees.

"I could not stand up. I could not put my head forward and I really thought that I was not going to be able to dance at all."

He got through the show thanks to a "handful of painkillers", and is still on medication. "Everyone is carrying injuries. I can't believe what a toll this show takes on you," he said.