'Strictly Come Dancing' is poised to return in full this September.
Anton du Beke
The BBC One Latin and ballroom show will reportedly be back to 13 episodes and is slated to return on September 25.
What's more, the 2021 celebrity contestants and professional dancers will compete at the world famous home of ballroom, Blackpool Tower, on November 20.
And the couple who lift the Glitter Ball trophy will be unveiled on December 18.
A TV insider told The Sun newspaper: “'Strictly' and the BBC set the gold standard last year in terms of putting a show on during a pandemic.
“They worked incredibly hard and they managed to keep instances of Covid-19 right down. There were rigorous protocols in place.
“They’re going to use what they learned to put on a full series this year.
“That means 13 episodes will be returning — and all of the themed weeks.
“The pinnacle will be the trip to Blackpool and that’s always been the way on 'Strictly'.
“As things stand, the whole show will head to the North West in November. Everyone is really excited.”
The report comes after Anton du Beke, Oti Mabuse, and Katya Jones were among the pros confirmed to be returning for the 2021 show.
Alongside Anton, Oti, and Katya, the rest of the line-up includes Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Janette Manrara, Johannes Radebe, Karen Hauer, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu, and Neil Jones.
This year sees no new dancers joining the ranks, but it will mark the first time Nancy Xu has been given a celebrity partner since joining the series in 2019 and taking part in all the choreographed group numbers.
In a statement, Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, said: “We are so thrilled to be welcoming back our incredible line-up of professional dancers for 2021. Their passion and dedication for ‘Strictly’ shone through more than ever last year as they all sacrificed so much to deliver an unforgettable series during unprecedented and challenging times. With so much talent returning to the ballroom, the 2021 series promises more show-stopping choreography, memorable performances and world class dancing.”
More information on the series, including which celebrities are due to take part will be announced later in the year.
Last year’s series saw comedian Bill Bailey crowned the winner with his partner Oti, which made her the only dancer in the programme’s history to win two consecutive series, having also won in 2019 with actor Kelvin Fletcher.
The 2020 show - which adhered to strict COVID-19 safety measures - was cut short with fewer celebrities and Katya and her dance partner Nicola Adams had to leave early due to the former testing positive for COVID-19.
Pop star HRVY also came down with coronavirus.
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