Strictly Come Dancing star Bill Bailey has come under fire on Twitter after admitting he "wouldn't dance with an unvaccinated partner", but his former professional partner Oti Mabuse has come to his defence.
SEE: Oti Mabuse breaks silence following her and Ugo Monye's exit from Strictly
Bill made the statement in an interview with The Times, when he was asked if he would have danced with the Strictly pros currently competing in this season, who have decided against the Covid jab. Bill responded: "I wouldn't. I just don't think it's worth the risk. We're still not out of this by any means."
WATCH: Oti Mabuse pays tribute to Strictly partner Bill Bailey
Since, several fans have taken to Twitter to share their "disappointment" in Bill's admission. One wrote: "A surprise and a disappointment," while another agreed, "Very disappointing from Bill Bailey."
And when another tweeted: "Who's gonna want to dance with him? State of him," Oti replied: "I would. Over and over and over again," along with a series of dancing and heart emojis.
READ: Strictly's Oti Mabuse and husband Marius Iepure's most adorable photos of all time
MORE: Oti Mabuse melts hearts with romantic post to husband Marius
Others are in agreement with Oti, with one writing: "What is with these people going off on Bill?! He is wonderful. Loved you on Strictly last year," while another said, "I feel so sorry for the people on the original thread who clearly never experienced the utter joy of watching you and Bill last year! You both saved 2020 for me!"
It is not a requirement for Strictly participants to be vaccinated, and while it's not known exactly which contestants have opted out of the vaccine, it is understood that some are unable to have it for medical reasons, and others have decided against being vaccinated out of personal choice.
© Photo: BBCOti and Bill won Strictly 2020
In his interview with The Times, Bill went on to discuss his relationship with Oti.
"Here we are, from very different backgrounds, different generations and on the face of it we don't have much in common, but actually it turns out we have a lot in common," he said. "We're very driven, very ambitious and we want to try to dedicate ourselves to whatever dance we're doing that week." The pair were crowned Strictly's winners in 2020.
You can find more information about the efficacy of Covid vaccines via the NHS.
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