Kym Marsh will miss Strictly Come Dancing due to Covid, says BBC | Come dance strictly

Kym Marsh will not take part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend after testing positive for Covid-19, the BBC has announced.

The 46-year-old actor and his dance partner, Graziano Di Prima, remain in the competition and are due to return the following weekend.

Marsh finished second in the Strictly rankings after performing a pasodoble during the first show held at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom since the outbreak of the pandemic.

She wasn’t in the bottom two, however, as the public decided TV presenter Tyler West and singer and actress Molly Rainford should face the dance.

West became the eighth contestant to go in a vote decided by Chief Justice Shirley Ballas, who said it was “one of the hardest dances we’ve ever had to choose.”

Marsh, who presents BBC One’s Morning Live, spoke of coping with severe anxiety before dancing to Strictly. The former Hear’Say singer told The Sun she had a panic attack “out of nowhere” before a dance earlier in the competition and had worked to manage her anxiety.

“I have always suffered from panic attacks. It’s something I don’t mind talking about because I know it can affect anyone at any time,” she said. “Sometimes it’s been ages [since an attack] and then suddenly there is a knock. Everyone thinks that because you’re on TV you have to be incredibly confident, but the truth is, I’m not always and that’s how it comes out.

Her performance on Saturday’s show drew praise from Ballas, who took over from Len Goodman as chief justice in 2017. She said Marsh was “in warrior mode”, adding, “You’re here and you fight.”

The former Coronation Street actress last week paid a moving tribute to her son Archie, who died in 2009 after being born prematurely, dancing an American sweetheart to the Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars.

Before taking the stage, she said in a recorded segment, “I feel like by doing this dance, not only will it be in memory of Archie, but I also hope people will talk about their experiences because it’s the right way to rebuild your life. »