Arlene Phillips says Strictly will need to ‘slim down’ to work with social distancing guidelines

Series is scheduled to return in 2020

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips has said that the show will need to strip back production if it is to return in 2020.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, the former judge said that, while social distancing rules were bound to make the show look different to previous years, she did think it could work.

“I think it will have to be a slimmed down version,” admitted Phillips, who worked on the show from 2004 to 2009.

“The professionals are brilliant at doing their own make-up – there are no make-up artists around in their competition world anyway – and while the orchestra and the live audience add an awful lot to the show, it’s ultimately about the dancing and that’s the greatest challenge.”

She continued: “Dance is physical and requires close partnerships. In Latin dances there’s a bit more freedom, but in certain dances you really have to be in hold, it’s about touching and holding each other and you’re sweating. How can that happen?”

Despite this, the choreographer said that she expected the show would return in September, adding: “Strictly has some of the best minds in the industry and they are busy working out a way of holding the competition… They will do something this year.”

Phillips’s comments come after judge Craig Revel Horwood suggested that Strictly Come Dancing could follow in the footsteps of Dancing With The Stars Australia and perform without a studio audience.

Strictly is scheduled to return in September, with rehearsals due to begin in August.