Artem Chigvintsev will be absent from the live Dancing With the Stars broadcast on Tuesday, October 3, but Charity Lawson has temporary partner Ezra Sosa to lean on.
“Artem will not be dancing tonight due to COVID. Wishing him a quick recovery! ❤️ Charity will perform with Ezra for #LatinNight,” the official DWTS Instagram shared on Tuesday, posting a picture of Lawson and Sosa.
Lawson, 27, commented on the post and thanked Sosa for stepping in.
“A duo if you ever seen what [sic]! Grateful for @ezra.sosa stepping in and getting the job done!!!” the former Bachelorette star wrote. “Don’t miss tonight and make sure to VOTE for me!”
Sosa, 22, for his part, promised to make Chigvintsev, 41, “proud.”
Chigvintsev also shared the news on his own social media page and praised his replacement.
“Unfortunately, I will not be performing on Dancing With the Stars. I have tested positive with COVID,” he shared via Instagram Stories on Tuesday. “The good news is Charity is still performing. She’s dancing with an amazing guy, Ezra, they’re doing an incredible job, been working really really hard. Please show them all the love and support you can.”
The professional dancer also urged fans to vote for the duo despite his absence.
During the DWTS season 32 premiere on September 26, Lawson and Chigvintsev finished the night at the top of the leaderboard with 22 out of 30 points following their tango to “Only Girl (In the World)” by Rihanna.
While it’s still early in the competition, Lawson and Chigvintsev seem to have a great partnership thus far. Lawson exclusively told Us Weekly last month that she “literally screamed” after Chigvintsev was revealed as her partner.
“I was like, ‘No way this is who I got. [This is great].’ Obviously, I’ve watched the show, so I know Artem is truly one of the best,” she gushed. “I’m so grateful because he’s been amazing.”
Chigvintsev, for his part, noted that he felt “a bit of pressure” after getting partnered with another Bachelor Nation contestant. (Previously, he was paired with Kaitlyn Bristowe, and they won season 29.)
“Usually, we don’t get two Bachelorettes in a row,” he explained. “I feel like people have a certain expectation, especially when Kaitlyn did so well and Gabby [Windey] last season did so well. So, we’re just going to hopefully keep that expectation for you.
Bristowe, 38, also offered Lawson some advice before her debut on the dance floor.
“[Kaitlyn] told me to have a lot of patience — which I do — but also that he’s just such a great teacher and that I’m going to learn so much, and I already have,” Lawson told Us.
New episodes of Dancing With the Stars premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
