Dancing On Ice will take a week-long break from ITV as it said it was “smart” not to have a live show this weekend.
Why?
The decision follows the departure of Emmerdale actor Joe-Warren Plant last week after discovering he had Covid-19.
Earlier it was announced that Jason Donovan would not be taking part this weekend due to severe pain.
The show will return on February 28 and will be replaced by this weekend with a special one featuring previous highlights.
Comedian Rufus Hound was also forced out of the game earlier this month after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
This year’s series also wtinessed departures of of actress Denise Van Outen, who withdrew after partially dislocating her shoulder during training, and reality TV star Billie Shepherd, who injured herself in a fall.
On Tuesday, professional skater Hamish Gaman, who worked with soap celeb Faye Brookes, dropped out. ITV said he injured his finger while wearing socks.
ITV’s Decision
“ITV has decided to suspend Dancing on Ice this week and there will be no live program on Sunday,” a spokesman said.
“Each week our production team and cast have delivered a fantastic show during incredibly challenging times.
“The welfare of all of those involved is important to us and we felt it prudent to take a week’s break at this juncture.
“Continuing to make the best TV for our viewers is of paramount importance to us and we look forward to resuming the competition next week.”
Similar Instances In Other Reality Shows
Celebrities remaining on the show include former athlete Colin Jackson, radio DJ Sonny Jay and media personality Rebekah Vardy.
Olympic bodybuilder Amy Tinkler became the latest celebrity to be axed from the show after losing to rapper Lady Leshurr in Sunday’s skate-off.
Dancing On Ice is not alone in dealing with the disruption of its program in recent months.
Recently, Britain’s Got Talent was postponed to next year due to safety concerns during the pandemic. The organizers said it would be difficult for acts such as dance groups, choirs and orchestras to practice and evaluate properly.
It followed a delay in filming its Christmas special after at least three crew members tested positive for coronavirus.
ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! relocated from the Australian jungle to a derelict castle in north Wales because of the pandemic.
In January the recording of ITV’s Emmerdale soap was suspended for a week after many positive tests among those working on the show.
And another soap Coronation Street has temporarily suspended production for two weeks to allow its authors to modify its contemporary script fiction and scripts to ensure the possibility of recording them within current limits. Both shows managed to continue screening six episodes a week.
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