Kevin Clifton is too ill to rehearse for Strictly Come Dancing's Blackpool special

The competition is brimming with competent dancers, as they all head up to the Tower Ballroom, the home of ballroom dancing. It's an important week and everyone is practising extra hard to impress the judges and the voting public.

Apart from Kellie and Kevin.

Because pro dancer Kevin Clifton, who spent his childhood competing within the ballroom's hallowed walls, is so "poorly" he can't practise this weekend's routine.

"He's really, really poorly," Kellie Bright revealed on last night's It Takes Two, where she sat on Zoe Ball's guest sofa without her partner. "I know that he's really sorry that he's not here, but, you know, he needs to get better! We've got Blackpool this weekend!"

Kevin is so unwell that Kellie can't rehearse her dance for this weekend. She had a rare day off yesterday – "I had no EastEnders!" – and instead of spending hours sweating it out in the Strictly studio, she ended up relaxing and going to the hairdressers.

"I got my little boy ready for nursery, made his lunch, did all that good stuff and once he'd gone off I decided I was going to get my highlights done..."

It might be worrying that the couple aren't getting their routine ready, but it sounds like the break did a lot of good for Kellie.

"I feel like a human being!" she laughed.

That said, both her and Zoe urged Kevin to rest up and get better. The duo are set to dance a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s Nine To Five, and those steps won't learn themselves...

"Get well soon Kev!"

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6:50pm on BBC1