TV

Further details emerge about Strictly star’s “final-threatening” illness

It's been a hard week for one contestant

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The talk of the Strictly town this week has been about whether all four contestants and their partners would even be able to perform at the final.

It emerged earlier this week that Debbie McGee in particular had been struggling with a bug that had left her feeling “like a zombie.”

The Sun now reports that Debbie was struck with what they called a severe cold, and a Strictly source told them this was the cause for her husky voice and watery eyes.

The source said: “Debbie has a really bad cold, she’s had it all week.”

At an event on Thursday to talk about the upcoming grand finale, Debbie said: “We started this week but I wasn’t very well so some of the lifts we’ve only just done a couple of times.”

Earlier this week, she told the Daily Star: “On Tuesday I was like a zombie. I was brain dead and physically washed out.”

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However, the trooper has reportedly fought through her symptoms and will be fit to compete for the Glitterball Trophy later on this evening.

Debbie has been plagued by injury issues throughout her time on the show, although you wouldn’t have been able to tell from her sprightly routines.

In November, the high-tempo Samba earned her a back injury that has plagued her ever since, but she hasn’t let it slow her down.

Mind you, at least everyone knows she’s meant to be at the final tonight. Yesterday on This Morning, showbiz reporter Rylan made a frightful gaffe.

He was talking about the finalists of Strictly and their chances of winning the competition.

But he only mentioned Debbie, Joe and Alexandra as being competitors – completely forgetting about Gemma Atkinson!

Fans weren’t happy and saw it as a deliberate slight against the Mancunian, blasting Rylan on Twitter.

He posted his own reply about the matter a few moments later, letting everyone know it was the fault of a voice in his earpiece distracting him, and wishing Gemma and all the contestants good luck.

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Shortly after that, he announced he was “taking a break” from This Morning, so who knows when we’ll see him again!

The Strictly Come Dancing grand final kicks off at 6:30pm tonight on BBC One.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor