Tony Adams' wife Poppy has spoken out following his departure from Strictly Come Dancing as says he left because he's 'old with a dodgy knee' - and not because of any row.
The football legend, 56, decided to withdraw from the BBC competition after getting injured during Saturday night's show.
The much-loved star had proved to be a massive hit with viewers after entertaining fans with his outrageously funny routines with pro dancer Katya Jones, with Poppy calling them both 'punchy' people.
But Tony's decision to quit the competition was announced before a dance-off could take place after the Arsenal legend sustained and injury.
He made the decision when he and Katya were set to face Tyler West and Dianne Buswell in the dance off, but was unable to perform.
Poppy has now spoken to set the record straight and his wife says the ex-England captain didn't go because of any 'heated rows'.
She said her husband just couldn't keep up with a rigorous training schedule which could often last up to 10 hours a day.
"Taking part has taken its toll and it was time to drop out," she told MailOnline. "He has gone much further on the show than he had hoped and it was time to leave.
"They (Tony and Katya) are both punchy people and give as good as they get. He adored her and there was never a row as people have said - he has left because his body can’t take any more."
She went on to say that although some thought of the ex footy ace as a bit of a joke, he took things very seriously.
At the time, Tess explained to viewers: "Due to an injury sustained on Saturday night, Tony is unable to take part in the dance off and has decided to withdraw from the competition. This means there will be no dance off tonight and Tyler and Dianne are through to Blackpool."
Following Tony's shock exit, Strictly viewers were left divided, with some hitting out at the football legend.
"Well Tony Adams showed his true narcissistic colours tonight didn't he?! Too big of an ego and too much of a coward to do the dance-off! What an arrogant plum," one fumed.
To which Tony's beloved wife, Poppy, replied: "Are you a medical professional? Do you know what his injury was? Do you know that they actually told him NOT to dance and instead go straight to Blackpool and he said no because that would have been unfair to everyone else?"
Elsewhere, speaking about his time on the show, Tony explained: "It's been emotional guys, I cried for the first month. I came in here with one message, if you've got an issue with mental health then please don't suffer in silence and reach out for help.
"Little did I know that I was going to learn a lot about myself in the process. I've got to be honest, it's tough, physically it's really tough - but dancing is really fantastic for you. Go out there and enjoy it and pick up new skills and explore.
"I suppose I had better mention this one [Katya] hadn't I, she is an exceptional human being, she really is. I will be forever grateful that I was partnered up with you. I loved that we didn’t care what people thought, we did every single dance our way."
