'Dancing With the Stars' contestant Matt Walsh has walked out of rehearsals due to the Hollywood writers strike.
The hit TV show is due to return to TV on September 26 but bosses at ABC are already putting plans in place to postpone the much-anticipated season premiere due to rising pressure over industrial action by the Writers Guild of America - and 'Veep' actor Matt Walsh - who is a member of the WGA - has decided to "pause" his involvement with the show after he was informed by the union that the show is covered and considered struck work.
In a statement - obtained by CBS News - he explained: "I am taking a pause from 'Dancing with the Stars' until an agreement is made with the WGA. 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."
He added: "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."
The celebrities and dancers have been backed to continue on the show by the actors union SAG-AFTRA, but the series is covered by the WGA whose members have been picketing rehearsals.
A statement from SAG-AFTRA explained: "Our members appearing on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ are working under the Network Code agreement, which is a non-struck contract. They are required to go to work, are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations.
"The program is a SAG-AFTRA non-dramatic production under a separate agreement that is not subject to the union’s strike order."
