Strictly Come Dancing 2020: All The Big Changes To The New Series Due To Coronavirus

24 September 2020, 12:43 | Updated: 25 September 2020, 16:52

Strictly Come Dancing producers are having to make some huge changes to the 2020 series in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Strictly Come Dancing will soon return for a new series in 2020, with a brand new line-up of celebrities set to take part.

However, the format of Strictly this year will look extremely different to previous series as producers make big changes to adjust to the ever-changing coronavirus guidelines.

The Isolation Rules Strictly Come Dancing Pros & Contestants Must Follow This Year

Some of the steps in safely going ahead with the new series involve the stars isolating beforehand, but the BBC are having to make changes every time the COVID-19 advice is updated.

Show boss Kate Phillips recently admitted that, although Strictly is ‘the toughest show to get going,’ they will rise to the challenge.

But what changes have been made for Strictly Come Dancing 2020 so far? Take a look below…

Will there be a live audience on Strictly?

Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell dance the jive to Take On Me by A-Ha

Strictly bosses initially planned to have the dancers perform in an empty studio, but made a U-turn decision to allow a "reduced audience" watch the show.

Viewers can get tickets and groups of up to four can come along – but audience members will be given a time slot to arrive and will have to wear a black face covering throughout their time at Elstree Studios.

Live performances by pop stars may not happen this year

Performances by big music stars are said to be under discussion as to whether they should be scrapped.

Previously, stars such as Taylor Swift and Lewis Capaldi have taken to the ballroom to perform their new singles.

Strictly will have a shorter run date

The series usually runs from September to December, but this year Strictly will kick off on 24 October and will be shorter by a few weeks.

A smaller Strictly line-up

Due to the shorter running schedule there will be fewer competitor numbers.

Changes to group routines

After isolating each of the professional dancers before filming for the show began, the pros were able to film 14 group dancers safely together.

Preparing the performances involved the pros isolating in a hotel along with production members and costume fitters to ensure the routines could go ahead as normal.

With new safety measures in place, it also meant the dancers had over 300 costume changes all together.

Skeleton crew backstage

Around 25 per cent of the usual production crew will be backstage, a cut they have been able to make partly due to the fact there won’t be a live audience.

“There will be less security because there’s no audience to control.”

According to the tabloids, Strictly bosses have made 100 new format changes in order to abide by the government’s guidelines, so the ballroom will be a very different show this year.

The new series of Strictly is set to start in October, rather than its usual September launch.

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