The actor and singer currently suffers from back pain and has been ordered by doctors to “relax”.
“I have had back pain the last few days and am under doctor’s orders to relax and sit this week,” the 52-year-old said in a statement.
“I’m resting, I’m going to watch from home and cheer on everyone and I can’t wait to come back next week.”
Celebrities are allowed to miss a week of the competition without being eliminated, according to the show’s rules.
Mr. Donovan is the latest celebrity to retire from competition due to injury or coronavirus.
Joe-Warren Plant and his professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer became the fourth couple to leave competition on Friday after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Ms Bauer shared a photo of herself and Joe on Instagram. She wrote: “We are heartbroken. Joe and I are feeling great, but our COVID tests have come back positive and that means the end of us on @dancingonice.
“I’m writing this in tears because I loved every minute of this year’s show with @joewarrenplant! He is the best partner I could have hoped for, we worked so hard for months, we had so much fun together and we had so much more to show
“It’s surreal as we trained until last night before the shock call hit us…
“It’s devastating that our trip was cut short like this, but we both had the time of our lives. “We love @dancingonice and would like to thank everyone for their support this year.”
Last week it was revealed that comedian Rufus Hound was withdrawing from the competition after testing positive for coronavirus.
A report
Reality TV star Billie Shepherd also left the show early after injuring herself in a fall, while actress and singer Denise Van Outen withdrew after partially dislocating her shoulder during practice .
Mr. Donovan started the series on a high level, scoring 25 of 40 points for his routine at Michael Bublé’s Moondance.
However, he received the lowest score in Week 3 as he only got 22 points for a musical special.
PA Supplementary Reports
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