Boris blasts ‘anti-vax’ Strictly stars: PM says everyone should have Covid jab
Boris blasts ‘anti-vax’ Strictly stars: PM says everyone should have Covid jab amid fury over celebrities asked to pair with unvaccinated trio – as BBC bosses battle to keep show on air
PM said ‘everyone should have their jabs’ and ‘didn’t mean that in a bullying way’BBC bosses said to be battling to save show after stars were left fearing outbreakOne star reportedly shocked at hearing their partner hadn’t received vaccine
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Boris Johnson today waded into the Strictly Come Dancing jabs controversy after claims three professional dancers had refused Covid vaccines.
Asked about the row, the PM told GB News: ‘Everyone should take their jabs and I’m saying that not in a bullying way but just because I think it’s a great thing to do.’
BBC bosses are reportedly battling to save the show after celebrities were left fearing a backstage outbreak.
A source claimed one star – a household name – told friends: ‘We should have been protected,’ after learning their professional partner hasn’t received the jab.’
BBC bosses are reportedly battling to save Strictly Come Dancing after celebrities were furious to learn three professional dancers have refused the Covid vaccine. There is no suggestion anyone pictured in this article is among the refuseniks
A source told The Sun the celebrity was previously unaware their professional partner hadn’t been jabbed, and was stunned by BBC bosses’ failure to secure their safety despite stringent Covid measures.
They said: ‘They just couldn’t believe that their partner would not have had a jab. They thought they’d be protected so to discover their partner hasn’t even had a single jab is very worrying.
‘The couple have already spent tens of hours practising together. Clearly, there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions to be asked.’
It comes as the latest data showed Britain’s Covid crisis appears to be growing again as daily cases increased week-on-week for the fourth day running amid fears of a delayed back to school surge.
Department of Health bosses posted 31,564 new coronavirus infections today, up 18.5 per cent on the 26,628 recorded last Tuesday.
Cases had been falling for the nine days prior to Saturday, suggesting the UK may finally be seeing the effect of the return to schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of the month. Experts warned that classrooms reopening would cause a sharp uptick in infections.
Deaths also increased today, with the number of people dying within 28 days of testing positive for the virus increasing to 203. This was up 9.7 per cent of last Tuesday’s 185.
But Covid hospital admissions are continuing to fall, with 861 new patients recorded last Thursday — the latest date data is available for — down 25 per cent on the previous week.
The news is fresh evidence of the effectiveness of the jabs in preventing serious cases, with more than 65% of the UK population now having been vaccinated.
The BBC has been keen to play down the Strictly row and insists it is based on ‘speculation’.
A spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We do not comment on speculation of 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.’
Insiders insisted that bosses ‘do not recognise’ claims of celebrity push back.
The Prime Minister’s words came during his visit to the US to meet President Joe Biden, during which he made his plea for stars to be vaccinated.
Following reports that a third professional dancer had refused the vaccine, former Strictly star James Jordan led calls for them to be dropped from the show.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain alongside ex-pro Kristina Rihanoff, James said: ‘I would normally protect the professional dancers until the cows come home but on this particular occasion I can’t unfortunately.
‘I definitely believe they don’t deserve their right on the show and the celebrities have every right to refuse to dance with them.
‘I just think it’s a really, really selfish thing to do. And also, what you have to remember, in previous years on Strictly, your immune system gets low, lots of people get sick anyway. This is way before coronavirus.
‘So if you are sweating and all over someone, it is very close contact on Strictly as we all know, so you are much more at risk of spreading something like that.’
Urging: The news set tongues wagging as PM Boris Johnson was asked about the news in a US TV interview, to which he said: ‘Everyone should take their jabs’
Furious: Following reports that a third professional dancer had refused the vaccine, former Strictly star James Jordan led calls for them to be dropped from the show
‘If it does spread and the whole show comes down or god forbid someone dies because let’s not forget 150,000 people have already died from this horrible virus.
‘If someone on this show get this virus and their immune system is really low and they die, it could have been prevented.’
It comes following reports that it had become well-known among the Strictly cast that a third professional dancer had refuse the Covid vaccination, sparking resentment behind the scenes.
The pro, who was not named, does not have to disclose whether they’ve been vaccinated to BBC bosses, because it is a private medical matter.
A source told The Sun: ‘Producers are dreading an outbreak of Covid on the new series, which is a crucial part of the autumn schedule.
‘They are taking every possible precaution to make the set as safe as possible, particularly as the studio audience is returning.’
This year’s Strictly has once again seen stars and their professional dancers required to adhere to strict Covid safety measures, including being tested multiple times a week, and forming bubbles to perform and train safely.
Saturday’s launch show, which was recorded earlier this month, saw this year’s celebrity contestants discover their professional partners, with the 15 couples set to perform in the first live show this weekend.
On Saturday it was reported that two of the show’s professional dancers had refused to get Covid jabs, ahead of the launch show being broadcast.
The identity of the dancers was not revealed and BBC bosses were said to be fearful that there could be a larger outbreak among those participating in the show.
A source told The Sun that if a ‘proper outbreak’ led to ‘half the cast’ contracting Covid-19, it would be ‘curtains’ for the show.
They added: ‘Strictly already has to jump through hoops just to be able to broadcast. The dancers who won’t get vaccinated have been a topic of conversation among cast and crew for weeks — even before the positive test.
‘There were vocal protests from celebrities that they didn’t want to be paired with them. It’s a headache for bosses but employers cannot force workers to get jabbed.’
Reacting, ex-Strictly contestant Dr Ranj Singh said: ‘I think, you know vaccination is not mandatory, it’s an offer, and I think we should all be playing our part and doing whatever we can to try and keep everybody safe. Not just ourselves but those around us.
‘There may be legitimate reasons for those people to not be able to have the jab and we’ve got to understand that, but I think we’ve all got a part to play to be as safe as possible.
‘And that’s not just about vaccination, that’s about being careful around hand hygiene, trying to distance, wear a mask in enclosed spaces, and all those other things that we should be doing well.’
It came just three days after it emerged that one professional dancer has tested positive for Covid-19. The unidentified dancer was forced to isolate for ten days, but their celebrity partner tested negative.
Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse told Good Morning Britain in response to the news of the positive test that ‘it is still a pandemic, we cannot ignore the fact as much as we want our lives back.’
She added: ‘We will all be there and we will all be healthy and all keep on dancing – that’s what I can say.’
Speaking of the two dancers’ refusal to get vaccinated, the source added to The Sun: ‘There were vocal protests from celebrities that they didn’t want to be paired with them.’
As part of the measures in place to lessen the risk posed by the virus, dancers are tested multiple times a week.
Judge Motsi said on Friday: ‘There are still issues here and the BBC is doing the upmost to keep everybody safe.
‘We are being tested and we are trying to isolate as much as we can, but things can happen and we should be able to go through that, and everyone should be responsible and take care of themselves.
‘But we can’t plan these things so we just have to react, and hope that everybody stays healthy.’
Show bosses are reportedly still enforcing Covid-19 bubbles for its professional dancers, despite lockdown restrictions easing.
Wanting to minimise all potential risks, Strictly bosses have requested the show’s dancers all stay at a London hotel in ‘bubbles’, according to The Sun.
Such bubbles were put into practice for last year’s Strictly series amid lockdown, while the show’s professionals have been busy pre-recording group dances ahead of this year’s launch.
As well as forming bubbles ahead of the series, the professional dancers filmed most of their group routines in advance and only a limited number of guests will be allowed in the studio audience.
Fans, along with friends and family of the celebrity contestants, will be allowed back into Elstree studios to watch the live shows, but only in small numbers.
Last year, Strictly bosses brought bubbles and close contact cohorts into play in order to ensure the safety of the contestants, dancers and crew during filming.
Each dancing couple formed an exclusive support bubble – meaning one half of the bubble was a single adult household living alone and the other could remain with their household, allowing them to have close contact with one another.
Close contact cohorts were also introduced and work similarly to support bubbles, but included regular and routine testing for coronavirus. Each couple was put into a close contact cohort and could not form a cohort with anyone else during the competition.
Despite the measures in place, Covid still wreaked havoc with the series, as same-sex couple Katya Jones and Nicola Adams were forced to leave the competition, after Katya tested positive for the virus.
The series was won by Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse, with EastEnders star Maisie Smith, singer HRVY and Jamie Laing all finishing as runners-up.
Producers have also reportedly put a kissing ban on contestants in a bid to stop Covid causing havoc again for the new series.
Producers are said to have told this year’s stars ‘one snog and you’re out’ after last series celebs Maisie Smith and HRVY allegedly broke social distancing rules because of a brief romance.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Although the pandemic has eased since last year’s series, the BBC aren’t taking any chances.
‘This kissing ban is likely to be part of a package of measures introduced by producers to make the show as safe as possible.