Strictly Come Dancing cut a snow-themed routine from its recent results show after three boys died in Solihull after falling through ice.
On Sunday (12 December) afternoon, three children aged eight, 10 and 11 slipped through thin ice at a lake in Solihull, dying in the water. A fourth boy, aged six, remains in critical condition in hospital.
You can follow updates on The Independent’s live blog here.
Monday night’s (13 December) Strictly results show was due to begin with a pre-recorded icy routine starring the professional dancers as snowflakes, while judge Craig Revel Horwood played the ice queen.
But despite Tess Daly referring to the dance at the end of the semifinal, the results show went ahead without the performance in the final cut.
While viewers questioned why the pro number, which would usually open the show, hadn’t aired, reports emerged that the BBC had pulled the segment following the tragedy in Solihull.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed: “In light of tragic news events, we took the decision not to broadcast the group dance on this week’s results show.”
A source had previously told The Sun: “Strictly knew they could not air the dance in light of the awful news from Solihull. Naturally everyone on the show agreed and the decision was made not to air the performance.”
The news of the boys’ deaths broke on Monday, after police found the four boys at the scene. A police officer had tried to punch through the ice to reach the children.
All four children were in cardiac arrest when emergency services recovered them from the lake in the Kingshurst nature reserve.
Temperatures are thought to have plunged to 1C in the area at the time of the incident, falling to -3C overnight.
Members of the community in Kingshurst are continuing to grapple with the shock of events over the weekend, with a makeshift memorial emerging near the lake.
