Thankfully, COVID hasn’t stopped our favourite shows from being filmed, but it definitely hasn't made things easy for organisers. After the scare on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing 2021,ITV has decided to put up some precautionary measures to make sure the sets of I’m a Celeb are as COVID-safe as possible.
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Self-isolation for a fortnight
This year, participants will be fighting it out to the top in Gwrych Castle, just as they did in the previous season. Sources have revealed that in order to avoid any COVID disasters from happening, the whole cast will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine in Wales before the start of the show. The source told The Sun:
All of the celebrities will have to quarantine alone for a fortnight.
Once this ends they will enter the camp, which is basically then their bubble for the whole series. Testing will be done regularly in camp and on the set to ensure all the cast and crew are safe.
ITV thinks this is the best case scenario and will stop any headaches surrounding Covid, which has been a nightmare for the BBC with Strictly.
Vaccination row
Apart from keeping the entire I’m A Celebteam safe from infection, producers also hope that this decision will keep any arguments about vaccination from arising. This was prompted by the alleged vaccine row that broke out in Strictly Come Dancing over the vaccination status of the participants.
In September, The Sun reported that celebrities did not want to be partnered with two of Strictly’s professional dancers because they were unvaccinated. BBC denied those rumours, saying that they haven’t disclosed anyone’s vaccination status. They said in a statement:
The BBC has never commented nor confirmed the vaccination status of anyone on the show. It’s not our place to.
It is not the case that concerns have been raised with the BBC or the Strictly production team from dancers or celebrities about vaccination, or that they have threatened to quit.
We have in place strict procedures to protect those on the show and the wider production. Among the many measures in place on Strictly, the dancers are tested regularly to be in close contact with their partners.
