Strictly in Covid ‘chaos’: James Jordan blasts ‘selfish professional dancers who refused jab’

Three of Strictly Come Dancing’s professional dancers have reportedly refused the Covid jab despite being partnered with a celebrity.

Already the reports have sparked anger among fans of the BBC show.

BBC has refused to comment on the Covid vaccination status of the professional dancers but a spokesperson vowed the strict government guidelines remain in place to ensure the safety of the show.

Former Strictly professional dancer James Jordan, who starred on the show from 2006 to 2013, has slammed the “really selfish” dancers who have apparently opted not to have the coronavirus vaccine.

The ballroom dancer and choreographer, 43, has called for any of the dancers who refused the jab to be “sacked” from the BBC show.

He told Good Morning Britain: “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.”

He added: “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...

“I say let’s not have these professional dancers [who haven’t had the jab] on the show.”

The identity of the professional dancers who have reportedly not received the vaccination remains a secret.

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A Strictly spokesperson told The Standard: “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.”

Former Strictly star Dr Ranj Singh urged everyone to do their part in the coronavirus pandemic but reasoned there could be a legitimate reason to why the reported three professional dancers haven’t had the Covid jab.

He 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.”

Initially reports three professional dancers had decided against having the Covid vaccine emerged in The Sun.

A source told the newspaper: “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.”

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