Nicola Adams leaves Strictly Come Dancing after pro partner Katya Jones tests positive for coronavirus
Nicola and Katya's Strictly journey ends here.
Nicola Adams and Katya Jones have to bid farewell to their chances of lifting the Glitterball trophy this year after the professional dancer tested positive for coronavirus.
The BBC confirmed the news Katya had received a positive COVID-19 test result on Thursday 12th November, just days before the pair were due to take to the dance floor for Week Four.
In a statement, the BBC said: "Nicola Adams and Katya Jones are to leave Strictly Come Dancing after Katya tested positive for COVID-19."
The broadcaster said Katya is asymptomatic and that she and Olympic gold medallist Nicola are now self-isolating separately in accordance with the latest government guidelines.
However, the positive test result means the end of the road for their time on Strictly.
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"As part of the protocols outlined ahead of the series, this sadly means they will no longer be able to take part in the competition," the BBC said.
Nicola and Katya had been strong contenders in this year's competition and made history as Strictly's first ever same-sex couple.
Speaking out on the news of their abrupt exit, Nicola said: "I’m absolutely devastated my Strictly journey has come to an end so soon. I had so much more to give and so many people to win this for! But I just want to say a huge thank you to Katya for being the best dance partner anyone could ask for. She pushed me way out of my comfort zone and it’s been an incredible experience.
"I’m gutted to be out of the competition but in these unprecedented times and as frustrating as it is, the COVID measures in place are to keep everyone safe, and I’m doing what I can to help," she added. "I’ll be spending the next 14 days isolating so I’d like to apologise in advance for the ridiculous amount of TikToks I’ll be posting, in my new found free time when I’m not gaming!"
Nicola won plenty of positive feedback from the Strictly Come Dancing judges during the course of her short stint on the show, scoring 21 points for her Quickstep in Week One and an impressive 24 for her Couple's Choice the following week.
She found herself in the dance off last weekend, however, after slipping down the leaderboard slightly with a still respectable 19 points.
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Katya also said: “Dancing with Nicola has been an absolute inspiration. She's given her all each and every week and we were so excited to create more dances in the competition. Of course, I'm devastated to leave this way but I've made a friend for life and loved every moment of this special journey. I’d like to wish good luck to all the remaining couples!"
Sarah James, Strictly Come Dancing Executive Producer said: "We are incredibly sad that these unfortunate circumstances mean that Nicola and Katya are unable to continue on Strictly. They are a brilliant partnership and had already achieved so much during their time on the show. We'd like to thank them for their commitment and although their time in the competition has sadly come to an end we are hopeful that there will be opportunities for them to dance again in the future.”
The BBC confirmed the rest of the Strictly Come Dancing line-up are unaffected and will go ahead as normal in Saturday night's live show.
Strictly Come Dancing 2020 continues Saturday at 7:10pm on BBC One. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
