Strictly Will Likely Take Place Behind Closed Doors

The BBC are doing everything they can to keep Strictly on the air in 2020, but it's likely to be a very different show, with many changes being made to keep crew and participants as safe as possible.

A source told The Sun: “Preparing for this year’s show is a huge headache. The goalposts keep moving, so the big decisions are being left to the last minute so we’re as up to date as possible. But any concrete things we can decide on now, we are doing. Making one hit series is hard enough. As things stand, we are having to plan for hundreds. The slightest change to the rules could have a massive impact on how the show is filmed. But everyone is determined to get this thing on screen and in a way that is as close to the normal version as possible.”

According to the paper, changes include the following:

• No audience
• 75% reduction in the number of people working on the show
• No musical guests
• Dance styles involving less physical contact
• Pre-recorded pro numbers
• 'Chemistry circle' used to match celebrities and pros is ditched
• Increased flexibility, including dancing in locations other than the main studio

Janette Manrara told The Sun: “[The producers] have been looking at a lot of Dancing With The Stars around the world to see how they have been doing it and how they got on. Motsi [Mabuse] was telling me how the show functioned in Germany, with everyone wearing masks and gloves and there was no audience. There are a lot of dance styles that we can do without necessarily having to touch our partner. You can teach someone steps, you can teach someone side-by-side routines and not have to touch someone, so there is always that possibility. And masks — let’s do a beautiful rumba with a sparkly mask on. We could make it a fashion thing. We all just want the show to go on."

With a reduced crew and a desire for fewer 'contact points', it's highly likely that there will be fewer props this series. The omnipresent swing will have to stay in storage for this year. So, you know, every cloud...