Strictly Come Dancing hit by Covid as celebrity tests positive

The Strictly Come Dancing contestant HRVY has tested positive for Covid-19.

The 21-year-old singer and YouTube star, whose real name is Harvey Leigh Cantwell, announced the news on social media, telling fans that he would now be isolating for 10 days.

A BBC spokesman confirmed the positive test.

They added: “We have rigorous protocols in place to manage Covid-19, as the safety of all those involved in the production is paramount.”

It’s understood that HRVY is still set to take part in the launch show, depending on a negative test result, and that he only came into contact with a handful of production crew.

They subsequently all isolated and were tested, and it’s believed that there was a minimal impact on production.

Cantwell, who will return to the Strictly fold only four days before being paired with a professional, wrote on Twitter that he was asymptomatic:

This year’s Strictly will be shorter than usual, due to the pandemic. The launch show will air on October 17, head judge Shirley Ballas said, while the first live show will be broadcast on October 24.

Due to the uncertainty caused by the virus, producers are planning for multiple audience scenarios.

Bruno Tonioli will initially be absent from the Saturday night judging panel because he was unable to travel from America, where he works on Dancing with the Stars, but he is set to appear full-time towards the end of the series.

Among the other contestants are comedian Bill Bailey, former home secretary Jacqui Smith, actress Caroline Quentin, reality star Jamie Laing and boxer Nicola Adams, who will compete on Strictly as part of the BBC show’s first same-sex couple.