Dancing On Ice star Bez has tested positive for Covid just hours after making his debut on the rink.
On Monday, Bez – whose real name is Mark Berry – said he was “gutted” that he would be forced to miss a week of skating training due to having contracted coronavirus.
However, the Happy Mondays star said that he would be back on the ice for the show’s Movie Week special at the end of this month.
“I’ve had a positive test,” he told the Daily Star.
“I’m gutted because I’m going to be missing training but I’m looking forward to skating on the show again for Week Three and I’ll be tuning in at home and cheering on my mates who are skating this weekend.”
An ITV spokesperson added: “We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of all our contributors and staff which are routinely monitored and updated to reflect the current guidelines.”
The night before his positive test result Bez gave his first skate of the series, wearing a crash helmet and protective gear.
He descended onto the rink in an oversized pair of maracas, and eventually came at the bottom of the leaderboard on the night, though he garnered enough support from the public to save him from next week’s skate-off.
Bez was one of six celebrities to skate on Sunday, with the rest of the cast giving their first performance this weekend.
Dancing On Ice continues on Sunday night at 6.30pm on ITV.
