The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Celebrity:
Dancer sick
Brendan Cole has pulled out of performing on Strictly Come Dancing this weekend, the show has confirmed.
The professional dancer, who is partnered with Anastacia, has been suffering with a lung infection and missed rehearsals this week after being admitted to hospital.
Anastacia will dance instead with GorkaMarquez, whohas been working with the singer on the routine, a quickstep to Frank Sinatra’s My Kind Of Town.
The show confirmed Cole was sitting out on the advice of doctors and will be replaced by Marquez.
A statement said: “Brendan Cole is recovering from a lung infection and he has been advised to rest and will not be dancing this weekend as per doctor’s orders. Gorka stepped in to rehearse with Anastacia and they will dance together on the show this weekend. We wish Brendan a speedy recovery.”
The 40- year- old was hoping to make his return for the live show tonight and was said to be “gutted”.
Yesterday, Cole took to social media to reassure his fans after reports surfaced
“Brendan Cole is recovering from a lung infection and he has been advised to rest”
he had died. He has kept Strictly viewers updated on the state of his health after being admitted to hospital earlier this week.
The TV star tweeted a screenshot of a news website with a story headlined: “Strictly dancer Brendan Cole has died” and wrote: “Ps ... report yesterday of me having died ... very much untrue! lol.”
He said in a statement that he had taken himself to hospital hours before performing last Saturday after coming down with a bad cough, which he feared was a recurrence of the pneumonia he suffered earlier in the year.