Strictly Come Dancing lineup to be announced in next week

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief

Published: August 24 2020 | 13:44

Last updated: September 7 2020 | 20:53

Strictly Come Dancing's 2020 lineup is finalised and should be announced before the end of the month, it is confirmed.

Strictly Come Dancing producers have now signed up all of the celebrities taking part this year and plan to announce the lineup within the next week, it has been confirmed.

A plethora of famous faces have been linked with this year's show, including Gillian Anderson, Jessie J, Iain Stirling and even Brooklyn Beckham but the BBC has thus far remained tight-lipped on who will take to the dancefloor.

Speaking at a virtual session at the Edinburgh TV Festival, BBC entertainment controller Kate Phillips promised that the lineup is coming soon and also predicted that the show would have added "poignancy" this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

"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," she said. "I think there'll be heightened emotions, 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 for the big dance numbers. We'll announce the celebrity lineup at the end of this month - they are all on board and very excited.

"We're having to adapt, the set's having to be slightly altered. We're not quite sure at this stage how much audience we're going to be able to have in.

"We have to look at Dave Arch and his fantastic band and how we place them, how hair and makeup will work backstage. It's probably the hardest show to do in the current circumstances - a live, weekly show that relies on body contact quite a lot - but having said that, I think BBC Studios have really risen to the challenge."

The new series is due to begin on BBC One on Saturday, October 24.

> Every name in the frame for this year's Strictly Come Dancing