The star is having to sit week 2 out

By Joe Julians

Published: Monday, 27 September 2021 at 12:00 am


This year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing is now underway and, after each couple took to the dance floor for the first time on Saturday, we now have the first Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard to look at.

While we wait to find out what the Week Two Strictly Come Dancing songs and dances are, however, we know that one contestant will be absent from the next show.

Tom Fletcher and his professional partner Amy Dowden are being forced to self-isolate after receiving a positive COVID test result.

The rest of the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up will be back this weekend, as things currently stand, and, when Tom makes his return in week three he says there will have to be something “special” planned to mark the occasion.

Amy shared a statement on Instagram after the news broke that they would be missing a week, explaining what had happened and assuring all their fans that they are both doing well.

This prompted a response from Tom, who indicated that the pair needed to put on a special show when they make their comeback in order to help make up for the lost time. “Rest up partner,” he said, “we’ve got to pull something special out of the bag for week 3.”

The BBC issued a statement regarding Tom and Amy’s absence from the next live show, saying: “Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden have tested positive for COVID-19. The pair are now self-isolating separately following the latest government guidelines. While they will both miss Saturday’s live show, Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week.”

After the first week, it was AJ Odudu who topped the Strictly leaderboard with her partner Kai Widdrington, and the pair made Strictly history by getting the first ever nine that head judge Shirley Ballas has ever awarded in week one.

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday at 6:45pm on BBC One, while the Strictly results show airs Sunday at 7:05pm on BBC One. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.