Bez tests positive for COVID following 'Dancing On Ice' debut: “I'm gutted”

Bez has tested positive for COVID after making his debut appearance on Dancing On Ice on Sunday (January 16).

The Happy Mondays member took to the rink in episode one of the ITV show’s 14th series, which saw him skate to his band’s classic single ‘Step On’ alongside professional partner Angela Egan.

Yesterday (January 17) Bez – real name Mark Berry – confirmed to the Daily Star that he’s since “had a positive test”.

“I’m gutted because I’m going to be missing training but I’m looking forward to skating on the show again for week three,” he said, “and I’ll be tuning at home and cheering on my mates who are skating this weekend.”

In a statement, an ITV spokesperson said: “We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of all our contributors and staff which are routinely monitored and updated to reflect the current guidelines.”

Bez was hospitalised with COVID in 2020, a full week before it was announced as a pandemic. Last summer he explained that he “seriously thought [he] was going to die” as a result of the virus, saying he “couldn’t breathe”.

The Dancing On Ice judging panel scored Bez and Egan 12.5 points out of a possible 40, though the pair’s performance was a hit with viewers.

Bez wore full protective gear, including a helmet designed to look like a melon – a nod to the iconic ‘Step On’ line “You’re twistin’ my melon, man”.

A pair of giant maracas were displayed at the back of the ice rink, while dancers dressed as slices of watermelon joined the pair later in the performance. Bez’ Mondays bandmate Shaun Ryder, meanwhile, appeared in the audience.

Ahead of the Dancing On Ice premiere, host Philip Schofield revealed that Bez had suffered a “dangerous” accident during a practice session. “I’ve just watched a video of Bez on his second day fall over backwards so hard that his helmet flew off,” he said.