'The Jump' Contestants 'Struck By Norovirus' Prior To First Live Show

It turns out the dangers of the slopes aren’t the only thing the stars of ‘The Jump’ have to worry about, following a reported outbreak of norovirus at their hotel.

According to The Sun, 11 of the 14 celebrities taking part in the show were “bed-ridden” ahead of this year’s first live show, after being struck down with the illness.

Speaking to the newspaper, contestant Emma Parker Bowles suggested her one-year-old daughter was responsible for the spread of the virus, which she claims was started in the kitchen.

She said: “[My daughter] gave it to me. It was some kind of virus.

“It was actually someone in the kitchen that had it.. someone who worked in the kitchen. So it’s all the real dedicated breakfast goers that got it.”

While Amy Willerton remarked that “less and less people were coming to training” due to illness, comedian Mark Dolan joked: “It’s been good news for me because I hit my target weight.”

Fortunately, all of the contestants were able to keep it together when they finally made it onto the air, with former ‘Big Brother’ star Josie Gibson becoming the first star to be eliminated in this year’s live shows.

Away from contagious stomach bugs, ‘The Jump’ is often associated with the fact many of its contestants are forced to pull out due to injuries acquired during training.

While last year a whopping seven withdrew from the series, 2017 has already seen its first casualty, with model Vogue Williams having to be replaced by Amy Willerton, just days before launch.

Cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins has also suffered an accident, but was deemed well enough to participate in the first live show.

‘The Jump’ continues on Sunday (12 February) on Channel 4.