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Strictly Come Dancing will return this year with line up announcement coming this week

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli during the opening night of the Strictly Come Dancing Arena Tour 2020 at Arena Birmingham on January 16, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli during the Strictly Come Dancing Arena Tour 2020 at Arena Birmingham on January 16, 2020. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Strictly Come Dancing fans can start getting excited for the next series of the show after it was confirmed the line up will be announced before the end of August.

There have been doubts about this year’s series of the hugely popular BBC dance contest due to the coronavirus, but fans have been told they can expect a series, though it may be a bit shorter than normal.

BBC Entertainment Controller Kate Phillips spoke at the Edinburgh TV Festival and gave Strictly fans the news they had been hoping for.

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Phillips said: “Strictly is probably, I’d say, the question we get asked more than any other show is, ‘please say Strictly’s coming back, please say it’s coming back’. I can say it absolutely is coming back, it is a slightly shorter run but – apart from that – I don’t think it will be a lesser show at all.

“If anything, I think it will be rather special this series. I think there will be heightened emotions at part, I think a lot of the dances will have real poignancy, the pros have all been isolating together for the last couple of weeks, so they are now rehearsing together the big dance numbers.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 15: Dancers perfom on stage during the Strictly Come Dancing Arena Tour 2020 at Arena Birmingham on January 15, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Dancers perform on stage during the Strictly Come Dancing Arena Tour 2020 at Arena Birmingham on January 15, 2020. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

“I sent Charlotte [Moore, Director of Content] something this morning, and I was just like, it’s back! And it just looks so good seeing them dance.

“And we’ll announce the celebrity line-up at the end of this month, I think, we’re just planning that now but they are all on board and very excited.”

Phillips also revealed it has still not been decided if contestants will perform in front of an audience.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood spoke recently about how the new series is likely to work considering current social distancing regulations.

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Speaking to Kate Thornton on White Wine Question Time, he said: “There will be two bubbles for the celebrity and the professional dancer.

“They’ll be able to perform together and then go back to their families, but they’re not allowed to visit anyone else throughout that whole period.”

It is expected Strictly will air on BBC One later this year.