Jeannie Mai Leaves 'Dancing With The Stars' Due To Health Concerns
Yet another unfortunate incident has hit the set of Dancing With the Stars. After professional dancer Cheryl Burke had to dance with AJ McLean despite a head injury, Jeannie Mai now has to leave the show due to health concerns.
CNN reports that the 41-year-old television host spoke with Good Morning America about her decision to leave the show after talking with her doctors. According to Mai, there was an issue found with her throat that would require surgery.
Mai also shared that she was happy with her performance on the show and said that she had discovered new limits physically and mentally. Despite being proud of her performance, Mai did admit that it was heartbreaking to leave the show in such a manner.
Because of her departure, the double-elimination that was supposed to happen in the upcoming episode will now only have a single-elimination, according to the production.
CBS News adds that the throat issue that forced Mai’s departure from Dancing With the Stars is called the epiglottis, which is a condition where swelling occurs to the epiglottis, a cartilage that covers one’s windpipe. Untreated, it could result in air being blocked from Mai’s lungs.
Mai’s Dancing With the Stars co-stars and other entertainment industry quickly voiced their support on social media. Brandon Armstrong, the professional dancer paired with Mai, expressed his sadness at Mai’s situation and shared that he loved all the time they had spent together on the show.
Mai’s The Real co-hosts, Garcelle Beauvais and Loni Love, showed their support on Twitter and Instagram. Beauvais posted a photo of Mai on her Instagram account and wished for her recovery. Love, on the other hand, tweeted her wish for Mai to get better soon.
The Dancing With the Stars Twitter account said that Mai inspired not only the production but also millions of fans. The show also wished for her speedy recovery from her condition.
Aside from Mai and Burke, a contestant from the United Kingdom version of Dancing With the Stars also had a health scare that almost impacted the show.
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Harvey Cantwell, known as YouTuber and singer HRVY, had tested positive for the coronavirus weeks before the show and had to quarantine and undergo another test before he would be allowed to compete.
Fortunately for Cantwell, he tested negative in the following test and would be allowed to compete on the show. The YouTuber expressed his joy at being able to participate in the show by posting a photo of him happily jumping in puddles.
Before Cantwell’s positive test results, a member of the Strictly Come Dancing crew had also tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the BBC to clean the set with electrostatic sprayers after sending the rest of the production’s crew home.