Strictly Come Dancing was recently left hanging in the balance after four of its stars fell ill, it has been learned.
Contestant Fleur East revealed all as she appeared on her HITS radio show this week.
East, 34, shared that her professional dance partner, Vito Coppola, had been struck down with the flu, along with fellow celebrities Kym Marsh, Hamza Yassin, and Will Mellor.
The former X Factor star said: “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.”
East told listeners she had no choice but to rehearse with a stand-in while Coppola, 30, recovered, leaving the live shows in jeopardy.
She continued: “Everyone was getting the flu! So, he was out for the count and in bed. He didn’t move for two days.”
East was left “freaking out” at the time, before the contestants and her dance partner eventually got back to good health.
Mellor, 46, was the unfortunate one out of the group, as he became so ill, he was bedbound for most of the week.
Viewers sympathised with Mellor following his weekend performance of the rumba, after judges slammed his efforts.
One person tweeted: “Will Mellor is clearly unwell. Hats off for getting through the dance. Judges were harsh considering!”
A second said: “I thought he did extremely well given the circumstances, and to score him as if he had done a full week’s training seems a little harsh to me.”
“Critiquing Will so harshly when he’s been laid up ill until Thursday is WAY too harsh,” a third wrote.
Another added: “I think Will Mellor done really well considering he’s not well bless him, what a sport for even getting on the dancefloor when he’s sick.”
Despite becoming ill, the contestants managed to escape being voted off on Sunday (October 16), as Bros singer Matt Goss got the boot instead.
