In the latest Strictly news, contestant Fleur East has indicated Will Mellor isn’t the only star on the show who’s been under the weather recently.
Hits Radio host Fleur, 34, told listeners yesterday (October 18) it was a “tough week” for several cast members.
Fleur also revealed her pro partner Vito Coppola was among those who weren’t on top form.
And because of that she explained they only managed to grab a fraction of the rehearsal time they would have wanted together.
Strictly news: ‘A tough week’
Will Mellor told fans ahead of last weekend’s show that he had been suffering with a virus.
He admitted on It Takes Two: “I’ve been in bed, I’ve got a full virus, so I’ve not trained all week. I’m just hoping I can do what I can.”
As it turned out, Will and his partner Nancy Xu received their lowest scores of the series so far for their rhumba. The popular pair were last but one on the scoreboard with 23 but were saved from the dance off by viewers’ votes.
Fans expressed their concerns for Will’s health on Saturday (October 15) night as he ploughed on with his performance.
But according to Fleur, others weren’t feeling their best either.
She told fans: “There were a few mentions on Saturday night, but it was a tough week for a lot of people in the competition.”
More ‘sick’ Strictly stars
Fleur continued: “Hamza was very, very sick. So was Will and so was Kym.
“And we didn’t say anything on Saturday but Vito was really ill last week too. I got one full day of rehearsal with him.”
Fleur indicated she felt the pressure to get her moves right, even if she couldn’t do so with Vito.
Everyone was getting the flu!
She went on: “Everyone was getting the flu! So, [Vito] was out for the count and in bed. He didn’t move for two days.”
However, Fleur was determined to practice her tango steps.
She continued: “I started freaking out on Thursday because I was like: ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve had to practice with someone else.’
“And as soon as Vito did make it to rehearsals, he was a different height, had a different stance. It was like a brand-new routine I had to learn.”
Strictly news: ‘We need to just get this done’
Thankfully the pair were able to find six hours to rehearse before a production rehearsal on Friday.
“But I think when you have that added pressure you just pull it out from somewhere,” Fleur reflected.
“We were both like: ‘Right we were in the dance off last week, we need to just get this done.'”
“He was sweating and everything but somehow, we pulled it together!”
And while Will may have been affected by his reported illness, it seems any symptoms suffered by Hamza and Vito didn’t hinder their performances too much.
Fleur and Vito scored 38 points out of a possible 40 from the judges, placing second on the scoreboard.
And Hamza Yassin and his partner Jowita Przystal bested that score with 39 points – the highest of the series – for a stunning salsa.
Read more: Strictly under fire for treatment of Will Mellor during results show amid illness
Strictly Come Dancing continues this Saturday October 22 on BBC One at 6.40pm.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.