The premiere of Strictly Come Dancing and many other shows have been postponed.
Strictly Come Dancing has announced that the date for the premiere of the show has changed as the national period of mourning continues.
The upcoming BBC show will include 15 celebrities going against each other on the dance floor alongside professional dancers who will be teaching them how to dance.
When does Strictly Come Dancing premiere?
BBC reports that the famous dance show is set to air on Saturday 24 September. As the launch of the show is pre-recorded, producers could push the release of the show forward.
The show was initially supposed to return on September 17, two days before the state funeral of the late Monarch on September 19, and as a result, it was postponed.
Other changes in broadcasting
Bustle reports on ITV's announcement of rescheduling the annual National Television Awards to October 13.
The finale of Celebrity MasterChef has also been moved up to September 22, and more changes in schedule are expected to be announced in the coming days.
BBC is set to air the Paddington films in honor of the Queen this coming weekend, as the character Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth had appeared in a sketch which was a part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, The Mirror reports.
What's in line for Strictly
The show is one of the most watched on BBC, and it will see celebrities such as the Bros singer Matt Gross, TV host Helen Skelton, footballer Tony Adams, Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds, etc., on the dance floor to compete against each other, reports iNews.
Series 20 of the show see Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returning as hosts, with Rylan Clark and Janette Manrara returning to the companion series Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.
According to The Guardian, the show will premiere and dedicate a themed week to celebrate the 100th anniversary year of the BBC, where contestants are set to dance to music from iconic BBC shows and services.
In addition to paying respects to the Queen during this period of mourning, another reason for the delay is due to the fact that Queen Elizabeth was a fan of the show, particularly praising the contestant JJ Chalmers who was a participant in 2020, reports The Guardian.
The participant notes that:
One of the loveliest things I’ve ever seen, following the death of her husband, my father had written to her. And she returned a letter, which was typed and had all the expected notes with it, at the bottom, there was a handwritten message.
He further adds:
It said: ‘I’ve just realized that the JJ Chalmers that I’ve been watching on the coverage of my husband’s funeral is the same JJ Chalmers that you told me of being injured all those years ago.’ And also a line that said ‘and the same JJ Chalmers I enjoyed watching on Strictly Come Dancing.'
The Queen's funeral is set to take place on September 19. BBC will be maintaining news coverage and programming on the state funeral.
Read more:
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⋙ Strictly Come Dancing 2022: Start date, celebrities, judges, and more
