Strictly Come Dancing's 5 biggest stories this week: Kym Marsh has COVID and Tyler West's shock exit
We're approaching the final stages of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 and the drama is showing no signs of slowing down, both on and off the dancefloor.
After a triumphant return to Blackpool, things have been a little less sparkly with one competition favourite going home and another contestant ruled out with COVID.
Read more: All the winners and finalists in Strictly Come Dancing
Catch up on all the latest gossip from the show, including how you could see your favourite dancers perform live.
The 5 biggest Strictly Come Dancing stories this week
Kym Marsh is out with COVID
Just when you thought COVID cancellations were a thing of the past, Kym Marsh has been ruled out of this weekend's show after testing positive for the virus.
This is the first time this series that a contestant has had to miss a show because of COVID, a common problem over the last two years.
Read more: Why is Blackpool so important to Strictly?
However, Marsh and her partner Graziano Di Prima are expected back on the dancefloor next week, with a spokesperson saying: "Kym Marsh has tested positive for COVID-19.
"As a result, Kym and Graziano will not be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend. Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week."
Get well soon!
Tyler West's shock exit
From the early days of the 2022 series, radio DJ Tyler West was one of the favourites to win - in fact, he was even the first celebrity this year to score a 10.
So it came as a huge shock to many fans when West and his partner Dianne Buswell were voted out in Blackpool week in a dance off against Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu - with many saying neither couple should have been in the bottom two.
After his exit, West hit back at comments from judge Craig Revel Horwood that fellow contestant Will Mellor could "teach Tyler a thing or two" about hip rotation.
West told spin-off show It Takes Two: “I don’t know how necessary that comment was. But I’m so grateful to be able to dance in front of them and take their comments each week; they’re all amazing in their own right. [Negative comments] are part of it, you take it onboard and you grow with it.”
Fleur East enjoys the opposite of the Strictly curse
It's an unfortunate side effect of Strictly that for many a celebrity, taking part in the show has spelled disaster for their relationship.
Not so for Fleur East, though, who reckons getting dressed up and stepping out on the dancefloor every week has had the opposite effect on her 12-year relationship.
Read more: What is the Strictly curse and who's fallen for it?
She told The Graham Norton Show: “The show’s been a blessing for my marriage, it’s been great.
"We’ve been together for 12 years and how often in your marriage do you dress up and look different every week, and get to do all these sexy dances in front of your husband?
"After the Argentine tango it was like we got married again!"
Strictly Live announces cast
The 2022 winner hasn't even lifted the glitterball trophy yet, but the Strictly live tour has already been announced.
It's a hot ticket for many a Strictly fan as favourites from the series travel to arenas around the UK announcing a different champion each night, and contestant names have started rolling in for the 2023 shows.
So far, Ellie Simmonds, Will Mellor and Tyler West have been named for the tour, with more stars due to be announced.
It starts on 20 January in Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and other stops will include Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, London’s O2 Arena and the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Seann Walsh is still complaining about his Strictly scandal
He might have hit headlines for his Strictly scandal way back in 2018, but Seann Walsh is still talking about the kiss and its effects on his life during his I'm A Celebrity stay.
The comedian was caught kissing married dance partner Katya Jones on his then-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries' birthday, and Humphries then called out his emotionally abusive behaviour during their relationship, recently publishing a book about it.
However, in a chat around the campfire this week, Walsh claimed that his low point had been the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following the scandal.
He said: "Easily the most depressing month of my entire life, Edinburgh after Strictly. We get to Edinburgh, right, I think it’s a 200-seater, I’ve never not in Edinburgh sold out the first night.
“It doesn’t even occur to me that it’s not sold out. Just before I’m about to go on, my agent comes in and goes, ‘Just so you know, there’s like 30 people’.
“To get told that when you’re just about to go on, horrific. It was at that point I was like, ‘Oh, oh’. My career was dead, I was over.
"My agent said, ‘There’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry, I’ve tried. I’ve tried everything'."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7.15pm on BBC.
Watch: Who is Strictly's Kym Marsh?
