Furious backstage rift as Strictly ‘botches’ Covid measures

Strictly Come Dancingis officially back! This weekend, we found out who each celebrity was paired with and saw the celebs take to the ballroom to show us their moves in a first group dance. But while it was all smiles on screen, there’s said to be a lot of tension backstage this year surrounding Covid measures.

Strictly rift

According to The Sun, two of the show’s professional dancers have refused the coronavirus vaccine. Some of the celebs and backstage crew are said to be unhappy with this—especially as vaccination was a requirement for many crew members—leading to claims it’s ‘one rule for them, another for those taking part’.

An insider who spoke to The Sun said:

It’s not rocket science, if you are going to sign up to take part in a show like Strictly Come Dancing where you all on top of each other 24/7 then you need to do all you can to protect yourself and those in the programme... Those dancers who don’t want to get the jab should have been told to stand aside this year at least because the virus is still so prevalent.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Strictly Come Dancing said:

We do not comment on speculation of somebody’s Covid vaccination status. Strictly Come Dancing production has, and will, continue to follow strict government guidelines to ensure the safety of all on the show.

Is Strictly in jeopardy?

Last year, pro dancers and their celeb partners were placed in strict bubbles to avoid anyone catching Covid. Despite this, Nicola Adams and Katya Jones were forced to withdraw from the show after Katya tested positive for Covid-19. This year, stars are being allowed to mix more outside their bubbles—leading to fears we might see more withdrawals from the show.