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Dancing with the Stars will be missing one of its pros in tonight’s episode as dancer Daniella Karagach, who is paired up with star Joseph Baena, has tested positive for COVID-19 and, as a result, will have to sit this dance out.
A spokesperson told Deadline that Karagach, who is married to Real Housewife of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice’s dance partner Pasha Pashkov, is “completely asymptomatic and is self-quarantining. Everyone who has been in close contact with her has tested negative.” Meanwhile, those who have been in contact will reportedly wear a mask on tonight’s episode.
However, the show must go on. Unlike last season, when Cheryl Burke and Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby tested positive and had to perform their dance through Zoom (and from different locations), dance troupe member Alexis Warr will step in for Karagach in tonight’s episode.
This is just a continuation of a rocky start to Season 31 of the show, which just made its official move to Disney+. Since the premiere last week, there have been four other members of the crew who have tested positive. A spokesperson said they all work in “completely different departments that do not have in-person contact with each other, based on our pod system,” per Deadline.
They continued, “Contact tracing was immediately conducted. All close contacts were notified and put on an increased testing cadence. No close contact of the four positive production employees has since tested positive.”
Last week, Karagach and Baena, who is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, scored 23 out of 40 points for their jive to “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas. Meanwhile, Sex and the City star Jason Lewis and pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd were voted off as the judges chose to save Giudice and Pashkov.
Tune in to see the remaining contestants dance it up to Elvis Presley’s music tonight at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Disney+.
