Strictly Come Dancing has been impacted due to Covid after one of their professional dancers has tested positive for the virus. The BBC has not revealed which dancer it is, but they had already filmed the pre-recorded launch show set to air this Saturday.
The dancer in question was partnered with one of the 15 celebrities, however, their celebrity partner did not test positive for the virus and thankfully doesn't have to drop out of this year's competition.
A BBC spokesperson told Metro: “A professional dancer has tested positive for Covid-19, however, this didn’t affect the recording of the launch show which airs this Saturday.
“We are following government guidelines to ensure the safety of all on the show.”
In addition to this, it was also revealed to Metro that the virus might not impact a celebrity's chances of winning the competition, provided they're able to get enough training done in time to perform.
Strictly’s executive producer Sarah James explained: "If a celebrity does receive a positive test, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are out of the competition. It might mean they could miss a week and still get enough training in to return [after 10 days of self-isolating]."
How about a paddle? Three days until @adam_peaty makes a splash on #Strictly! pic.twitter.com/Ws5knKvKIsSeptember 15, 2021
With just three days until the highly anticipated launch show, we can't wait to see who's partnered with who this year. We already know there'll be an all-male partnership this year featuring John Waithe, but the exact pairings have been kept secret.
The live shows will begin on Saturday 25th September, a week after the pre-recorded launch show where we'll learn who'll be dancing together.
This year, they'll be judged by Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton du Beke, who will not be a professional dancer this series. He's standing in for Bruno Tonioli, who is unable to travel to the UK for judging duties.
Strictly Come Dancing 2021 starts on Saturday 18th September at 7.45pm on BBC1.
