'safety first'
Strictly stars who refused Covid jab should be AXED from main line-up, says ex-pro AJ Pritchard and brother Curtis
BALLROOM dancers AJ and Curtis Pritchard have slammed the professionals who plunged Strictly into crisis by refusing to get their Covid jabs.
The TV stars - who championed The Sun's Jabs Army campaign - called for those who turned down the life-saving vaccine to be AXED from the BBC show's main line-up.
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Love Islander Curtis, 25, said celebrities paired with un-vaxxed dancers should be allowed to dance with one of the many reserve pros who are double-jabbed and waiting in the wings.
He said: "There’s always reserve professionals on there isn’t there.
"So if they’re thinking of pulling the show I don’t think that should happen. Maybe remove the pros that aren't getting the jab. But not get rid of them or fire them. There’s always reserves on the show.
"So bring the ones in that have had the jab this year. Put the other ones on the reserve list.
"They’re still part of the programme, and the show can go on and move forward."
Sun Jabs Army supporter AJ, 26, insisted during an interview on Good Morning Britain today: "All I can say is personally, our actions speak louder than words.
"We’ve gone and helped at vaccination centres, helped people get the jabs, we’re both double jabbed. We feel like the entertainment industry, the live feeling, is to get that back up and running, the jab is helping."
The ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro added: "We believe it helps and it's safety first."
Speaking earlier to presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard on GMB, Curtis said it would be a shame if Strictly was forced off air over the unfolding chaos behind the scenes.
He added: "I hope the show can go on, I really, really do. It’s a fantastic show and we all know, coming up to Christmas, Strictly is that lead up to Christmas. I just hope they don’t pull the show."
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Earlier this month, we revealed how at least THREE pro-dancers have refused to be vaccinated.
But confused bosses fear that there are MORE dancers could be unprotected and sources say they "don't have a clue" who has or hasn't had a Covid-jab.
"The simple truth is the BBC doesn't know who is or isn't vaccinated," the insider said.
"It's believed to be three but it could easily be double that. There are very strict rules about this and nobody is being asked officially to disclose their vaccine status.
"It's a ridiculous situation that the BBC have boxed themselves into. It's a drip, drip of revelations right now about people not having had the jab. There just needs to be a meeting where everyone can be sat down and asked about this.
"It is not about forcing people to have the vaccine. But if some are choosing not to then everyone else at least has the right to know about it. The BBC is effectively trying to create a policy to keep the show Covid-free when they have no actual clue of the scale of the problem they currently face."
Many staff have also been left concerned by the fact stars were being allowed to go in and out of the Strictly bubble to attend panto.
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