Dancing With the Star’s planned return for Season 32 later this month is not going to plan.
Veep alum Matt Walsh, who was announced earlier this month as a contestant, has pulled out of the show until an agreement is made with the WGA.
“I am taking a pause from Dancing with the Stars until an agreement is made with the WGA,” he said in a statement to Deadline.
“I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement.”
“This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA, that it is considered struck work I walked out of my rehearsal.”
“I have been and will always stand with my union members of the WGA, SAG and DGA.”
“Beyond our union artists, I am sensitive to the many people impacted by the strike and I hope for a speedy and fair resolution, and to one day work again with all the wonderful people I met at DWTS who tolerated my dancing. “
With one celebrity out for the duration of the strike, it’s hard to imagine the episode airing as planned.
The WGA covers DWTS because it has one WGA writer.
Variety reports that ABC plans to postpone the season premiere amid increased pressure to for the show not to come back until the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are resolved.
There has been increased pressure for celebrities to pull out of the competition series in support of the strikes.
ABC has yet to comment on the backlash and probably won’t until details are ironed out about how long the show could be delayed.
Unless there’s a miraculous turn in negotiations, the series probably shouldn’t pencil in a return date before 2024.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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