Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Why is Judi Love not on the show tonight?
Judi will be missing from tonight’s show (Picture: BBC)
Loose Women star Judi Love will be absent from Strictly Come Dancing tonight, along with her pro partner Graziano Di Prima.
Covid first threw the show into chaos after Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden tested positive in week two, and another star will have to temporarily sit out.
The news broke earlier this week after the comedian, 41, was set to perform the cha cha to Physical by Olivia Newton-John.
Judi told fans she is ‘disappointed’ to be hanging up her dancing shoes for a week when she addressed the situation on social media.
Why is Judi Love not on Strictly tonight?
A spokesperson for Strictly confirmed that Judi had tested positive for Covid, explaining and would now be self-isolating.
‘Judi Love has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating following the latest government guidelines,’ they said in a statement.
Judi is ‘disappointed’ to have to sit out this week (Picture: PA)
‘While Judi and Graziano will not be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend, Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week.’
Taking to Twitter, Judi said: ‘Hey my lovelies it’s with great disappointment that I will not be performing this weekend @bbcstrictly due to testing positive with Covid 19.
‘Hoping to make a speedy recovery & dance for you next weekend.
‘Stay safe & thank you for your well wishes #JudiLove.’
Judi and her partner appeared on spin-off show It Takes Two this week, and later joined the Loose Women panel, but no announcements have been made on whether filming for those shows will be affected.
McFly’s Tom Fletcher recently returned to the ballroom after testing positive for Covid (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
Who has been eliminated from Strictly 2021 so far?
Series 19 is currently in its fifth week, with three couples having left so far.
The first victim of the ballroom was EastEnders’ Nina Wadia, who danced for survival against Coronation Street’s Katie McGlynn.
Despite being saved, Katie found herself in the dance off again the following week, and was eliminated along with her partner Gorka Marquez.
Week four saw Greg Wise voted out, while Peep Show’s Robert Webb was forced to withdraw from the competition on health grounds.
Greg Wise became the latest ballroom casualty last week (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
Still in the running for the glitterball include Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies, who topped the leaderboard for a second time last week.
Also still performing are Olympian Adam Peaty, who delighted viewers with a mesmerising Argentine tango last Saturday, Bake Off’s John Whaite and BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker.
Judge Anton du Beke previously shared the measures that bosses have taken behind the scenes to make sure everyone is staying safe during the pandemic.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he explained that ‘everyone is tested every week’, and keeping distance from one another backstage.
The dancer said that while coronavirus restrictions might have eased around the country, because Strictly wants to avoid any incidents, ‘they’re treating it as though we are sort of still in the grip of the pandemic and it’s all taken very seriously and everyone’s doing exactly what they should, in line with the government’.
More: Strictly Come Dancing
He added: ‘Everyone’s worked too hard for this and everybody wants the show to work, the viewers and everybody involved in the show.’
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One tonight at 7:15pm.
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