Delta Goodrem forced to miss Strictly Icons week after hospital dash: ‘Gutted’
Delta Goodrem will sit out Icons week on Strictly (BBC/Guy Levy)
Delta Goodrem will miss this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing Icons Week after a rib injury, with the show confirming she has been advised by doctors to rest.
The 41-year-old Australian singer, who is partnered with Kai Widdrington, shared the update in an Instagram post after it was announced on the BBC Two spin-off It Takes Two on Monday (12 October).
“I’m absolutely gutted that a rib injury means I won’t be able to dance on Strictly this week,” Goodrem said.
A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson said: “Due to injury, Delta Goodrem has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance on this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing.”
They added: “In line with the rules of the show, Delta and Kai will receive a bye through to next week when it is hoped they will be able to dance again.”
According to The Sun, Goodrem picked up the injury in training last week and was forced to go to A&E after a sleepless night of pain. She then returned to hospital, where medics advised her on her recovery.
A source told the publication: “Delta is heartbroken. The severity of the situation isn’t lost on her. The clock is ticking and all she can do is rest and pray things work out.”
Delta Goodrem ‘loving every second’
Goodrem told fans she has been “loving every second” of her time on the show, adding that sitting out is “heartbreaking” and that she is focusing on resting and recovering, hoping to be back on the dancefloor soon.
Her absence comes straight after a huge Saturday night for the pair, who topped the leaderboard with a Salsa that scored 33 points. The routine was set to a mash-up of Incognito’s “Always There” and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”.
Delta’s future on Strictly
Under the show’s rules, the bye means Goodrem and Widdrington will not dance this weekend and will automatically go through to next week’s live show.
Goodrem rose to fame in the early 2000s, including through her role as Nina Tucker on Neighbours, and has since had a long-running pop career in Australia. She has also spoken publicly over the years about recovering from Hodgkin lymphoma and resilience.
This year she became a favourite on the Eurovision Song Contest, coming fourth with her powerhouse ballad “Eclipse”.
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