A groom was so badly injured after trying to do 'the Dirty Dancing lift' at his wedding that he nearly died.

Mike Snell, 36, tore nearly all the ligaments in his knee, needed a knee reconstruction, missed his honeymoon to Jamaica and nearly died from blood poisoning after picking up an infection in hospital.

#epicfail is a huge understatement.

After hitting the dance floor with his new wife Cerise, 28, on 20 June last year, Mike requested the classic tune, because…Well, why wouldn't you?

But disaster struck when an over-zealous guest ran at him, assuming Mike would lift her up like Swayze does in the film.

Instead Cerise's colleague, Gemma Barratt, caught him unawares, his arms gave way and they both fell to the floor, badly injuring his knee.

"Now I can't even hear that song or see Dirty Dancing without hearing that snap of my knee," Mike, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, said. "If I never hear Time Of My Life again, I'll be a happy man."

After the incident, Mike tried to numb the pain with booze, but by the morning he was in so much pain he went to hospital, where he was diagnosed with fractured and snapped ligaments.

Three months later, he had reconstructive surgery, missing his Jamaican honeymoon. But his ordeal was far from over, as Mike then developed a deadly infection.

"The doctors said the infection was so bad, if I'd been an older fella, I wouldn't have been there,' he explained.

But despite the unusual turn of events, Mike seems to be able to see the funny side. "Whenever I go to the hospital, I'm a legend there – they call me 'The Dancing Guy,'" he said.

And he's forgiven his wannabe Baby, too.

"Although Gemma caused the accident, we don't blame her at all," he said. "It was an accident, after all. But I can't listen to that song now – no way. I get a flashback, and just block it out."

A year on, the couple are celebrating their first wedding anniversary and Cerise, a healthcare assistant, has this advice for future wedding guests, "Leave the groom to his bride – and leave the moves to the professionals."

Fair.

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Harriet Thurley
Features Writer
Hello! I’m Cosmo’s features writer. You’ll find me drinking tea, eating cake or watching David Attenborough wildlife documentaries (sometimes all three, at the same time, like a pro). Favourite snack: apple and cheese.