Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to our screens later this year with its 20th series — but will the show make it to the iconic Blackpool Ballroom this year?
Blackpool Week is one of the show’s most popular features, but for the last two years, they have been unable to film there due to COVID restrictions.
Last year, executive producer Sarah James told The Mirror of the sad news that Blackpool wouldn’t be happening in 2021.
“We are all so sad that we won’t be able to get to Blackpool this year but can’t wait to be back dancing at the one and only Blackpool Tower Ballroom in the future,” she said.
However, Sarah spoke about their hopeful plans to head to Blackpool this year during an event for Women in Film & TV (UK).
"We're thinking about all of it," she said. "But you know, I think what we've kind of learned is that we won't know until much nearer the time and even then it could change again. Obviously, we want to go back to Blackpool. We love Blackpool, we always have the best time there and it's obviously always an amazing show."
Usually, the final seven couples remaining in the competition go to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the live shows, widely known as 'the home of dancing competitions'.
However, Sarah is still worried that returning to Blackpool Week may have its problems if COVID is still around.
"We definitely want to go back, but you know it will come with problems if COVID is still rife and if isolation is still a thing, because it's very small behind the scenes,” she explained.
“Everybody stays in a hotel, we all travel up on a train, so there's all of these measures again that we do to try to keep everybody safe. We're really hopeful that we'll go back, but I think we'll have to make that decision later in the year when we start to become more aware about where we're heading really."
So, fingers crossed we get to see the dancers gliding across the ballroom in Blackpool this year!
Strictly Come Dancing 2021 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
