Kristian Nairn's health battles as he quits Strictly from back condition to 'nearly dying'

Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn has pulled out of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing "due to unexpected medical reasons". The 49-year-old says he was “truly looking forward” to taking part in the competition.

The actor, best known for his role as Hodor, now says he hopes to be “back on his feet very soon”. He had previously said taking part in the show would be a “huge challenge for me physically”.

It comes after the star has been open with a number of health issues he has faced over the years. Kristian claimed that his six seasons on Game of Thrones left him with a back problem.

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Hodor would often be seen on screen carrying disabled Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) around on his back. He says he was left with a pelvic tilt that required six months of physiotherapy to rectify.

Speaking on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum, Kristian explained: “I do have a back problem, but that came from working on 'Game Of Thrones. All that carrying…”

He explained that Isaac grew too big to carry as the series progressed. By season six he says they decided to replace his co-star with “a small lady named Samantha”.

Kristian was eventually replaced by a body-double - a 7ft-tall wrestler named Brian. When asked if had considered taking legal action against HBO, he replied: “It's not something I want to go down, the show's done so much for me.

"That's such an American point of view! We don't sue people back home for that."

Before finding fame on Game of Thrones, Kristian worked as a house music DJ and admits he was addicted to cocaine. He admits he once “hoofed half a kilo” up his nose in one night.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, he said: “Until the age of 28 I’ve never taken drugs. I’ve never even smoked a spliff, never had the inclination. But cocaine is different. I love cocaine. Whether or not I like it is a different question: it gives me mad heart palpitations and white-knuckle anxiety.”

He admits his drug taking meant he “nearly died” after moving from cocaine to ketamine. He says he stumbled onto the drug “by accident” after taking a “white powder” at a party.

He added: “I did the thing that most cokeheads do at some point. I moved on to ketamine. It wasn’t intentional — purely accidental, in fact. I was searching through the house for something — anything — to snort when I found a bag of white powder. As cocaine and ketamine look identical, I worked my way through it and very nearly died.”

Kristian revealed he “lay in bed” with his heart racing and “gasping for breath”. When he finally came around hours later he says he found three handwritten letters apologising and saying it would have been an accident if he died.

Kristian was announced as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing on Friday, August 15. However BBC bosses will now announce his replacement on The One Show at 7pm this evening.

Announcing his exit from the show, he said: “With a heavy heart, I have to step back from this season of Strictly Come Dancing due to unexpected medical reasons.

“I was truly looking forward to the journey, and I'm deeply sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to seeing me on the dance floor. Thank you all for your support, and I will be back on my feet very soon, in every sense. Love to all, Kristian."