Strictly Come Dancing to return with shorter season amid coronavirus pandemic

Professional dancers may be asked to isolate before filming

Strictly Come Dancing will return to screens in 2020 with a “slightly shorter” series than usual.

The future of the popular Saturday night entertainment programme has been up in the air due to the coronavirus pandemic, with fans questioning whether the show could go ahead while social distancing measures were in place.

However, on Wednesday (24 June), Strictly bosses announced that the show would be returning in the autumn after months of speculation.

“The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year,” the BBC said.

“To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around Covid-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual.”

Logistical details are yet to be announced, with recent reports suggesting that the professional dancers may be asked to isolate with each other or their celebrity partners and that the show could go ahead without an audience.

In their statement, the BBC confirmed: “The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us.”

News of the show’s return was confirmed by judge Craig Revel Horwood this week, who told Loose Women on Tuesday (23 June): “I’m looking forward to the show this year. It’s going ahead, I know that. It gives us a chance to look at the show in a new creative light.”

Strictly is one of the biggest shows on British TV and has aired every autumn since 2004.