Changing up the rules. Cheryl Burke and Cody Rigsby both tested positive for COVID-19 but will still be part of the competition on Dancing With the Stars, Us Weekly confirms. The duo will dance their routine remotely and separately from their own respective homes.
“We’re going to be doing it from the comfort of our own home,” Burke, 37, said on the Friday, October 1, episode of Good Morning America, sharing a look at her house. “Look at that, I’ve turned our living room into a ballroom.”
The professional dancer revealed her positive results with fans on Sunday, September 26, holding back tears via an Instagram video. “The PCR test came back, and it came back positive, and I just feel so bad,” Burke said at the time. “I feel so bad for Cody. I feel like I’m letting him down.”
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The following night, the pair remained in the competition and were judged based on a taped performance from a rehearsal earlier in the week. Both competitors appeared via video and were not allowed in the ballroom.
Then, on Thursday, September 30, the Peloton instructor, 34, revealed via his own Instagram that he, too, had COVID-19.
“I have tested positive for COVID again, the second time this year,” the fitness guru said. “Right now have really mild symptoms — congestion, little bit of a headache, cough — but in comparison to when I had COVID earlier this year, it is night and day, so that must be the vaccine and the antibodies working so we’re super grateful for that.”
After Monday’s episode, the duo spoke to Us and other reporters via Zoom, noting that they were hopeful for the future.
“Option A is that I rehearse with a sub partner for the entire week, and I also perform with that person depending on when Cheryl is cleared. Then the other option might be I dance with a sub and then Cheryl is safe the day [of the show] last minute and dances with me on Monday,” Rigsby said at the time. “That’s to be determined. All of this is kind of determined by people who know a lot more about COVID and CDC guidelines, so we’re at the helm of their duty.”
The two-time champ added that she’s not going to stop teaching Rigsby in the meantime.
“We still have to do a cha cha, obviously, and we need to represent the challenge which is cha cha content,” she told reporters. “But there’s a lot where we are using the whole floor, like, the whole ballroom for sure. … I’m gonna be the ultimate Dance Mom right over here [from home]. I’m really good at it, it comes naturally.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.