The glitz, glamour and sequins of Britain’s most beloved ballroom arrived back with a bang this Saturday, with the launch of the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing, the nation’s favourite autumn entertainment show.
But the new series has been somewhat overshadowed by the news that three professional dancers taking part in the show have refused the Covid-19 vaccine.
In one fell swoop, Strictly - a show very much used to controversy but never intentionally courting it - has ended up smack bang in the middle of the biggest debate of 2021: to vax or not to vax?
You might wonder what the fuss is about – it’s just sequins! It’s just flicks and kicks and Waltzes and Salsas! But at its heart, it is a show about people. When you think about it, should the BBC, as a responsible employer, put the health of its contestants at risk by not insisting that everybody in its flagship show get protected from Covid?
How do you feel about unvaccinated dancers appearing on Strictly? Have your say in the comments below
Or should the vaccine be a matter of individual choice that an employer, especially the BBC, should have no right to be involved in? Not for the first time, the Strictly glitterball has found itself becoming a lightning rod for a bigger and more controversial debate.
As a huge fan of the show and co-host of the Strictly On The Sofa podcast, I’m all for keeping the show on the road. 2020 was – let’s be honest – a shambles of a year, with Strictly as the bright colourful beacon illuminating an otherwise bleak and grey few months. This year it feels just as vital – even though shops, bars and clubs are opening up again, the return of Strictly to our screens feels familiar and comforting in the most ‘keep calm and top up your fake tan’ kind of way.
And though it feels like the BBC would be crossing a line by ‘mandating’ the pros get the vaccine, I do feel for the celebs. Boxer Nicola Adams famously had to drop out last year after her dance partner Katya Jones tested positive for Covid (luckily neither fell badly ill). Imagine having to quit the show, disappointing your fans, and putting your health at risk because your dance partner (who you have to spend hours in extremely breath-smelling close contact with in training every day) won’t get the vaccine?
Ultimately, then, it really should come down to the celebs themselves to decide if they’re happy to dance with someone unvaccinated. The BBC, as a neutral institution, cannot impose the vaccine on anyone – but the celebs should feel well within their right to refuse a partner if it causes them concern.
After all, worry and stress are not conducive to the loose hips that the Samba requires, or the upbeat mood needed to perform the Jive. And after an entire year of worries and stresses, at this point all we really want is for our celebs and pros to (happily and healthily) Keeeep Dancing!
Laura Stanley is co-host of Strictly On The Sofa, a weekly podcast which over-analyses every sequin, every heel turn and every dance DISAHSTER that Strictly has to offer. You can find it on every major streaming platform and on Twitter @StrictlyonSofa.
