Dancing With The Stars has been rocked by Covid 19 chaos again as Nicolas Roche has tested positive for the virus this week.
RTE have confirmed that the pro cyclist and his partner Karen Byrne have had to pull out of Sunday’s show.
A spokesperson for Dancing with the Stars said: "Nicolas Roche has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this Sunday's Dancing with the Stars.
But this won’t mean the end for the couple, as they added: "All being well Nicolas will return to the dancefloor next Sunday."
It comes after Nicolas and Karen said they had been living like ‘hermits’ to avoid the chance of Covid kicking them out of the competition.
Seasoned star Karen told Irish Daily Mirror: “Oh my god yeah, it definitely is one of those things, I am terrible, i’m like no socialising let's do the job and get it done and get to that finish line.
“We are like hermits. We just see each other.”
Four-time Olympian Nicolas, who has been staying with his grandparents in Dundrum, during the contest, told how he is extra cautious for fear of bringing the virus home too.
“I am staying with my 85-year-old grandparents so I also have that responsibility,” he explained.
The 37-year-old, who was previously based in Monaco added: “I don’t want to bring Covid to work and I am hugging my granny and grandad everyday so I also have that extra responsibility.
“So we are coming into the show and doing antigens and pcrs so it is just about making sure we stay in some sort of a bubble.
“You don’t have to be alone all of the time, but just a bubble you can trust that are also cautious.
“But obviously you can catch covid by touching the wrong door handle or...
“You can’t let it over consume you. But you do have to be careful,” Karen added.
This Sunday is Big Band Week on Dancing with the Stars, with the dancers taking to the floor to perform their numbers to music performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra.
One more dancer will be sent home this weekend, following the second dance-off of the series which will feature the two couples who have the least votes when judges' and public votes are combined on Sunday evening's show.
The judges will then vote on whose journey on Dancing with the Stars will come to an end this weekend.
Last week’s show saw Missy Keating get the boot from the judges, after going up against leading contender Erica Cody in the first dance off of the season.
It came after the influencer was also forced to miss the previous week on the show after testing positive with the coronavirus.
