Strictly bosses are assessing contingency plans for the upcoming series, as the TV industry continues to be thrown into chaos by the coronavirus pandemic.
Sources revealed to MailOnline that due to BBC executives ‘not knowing what world we’ll be in’ when the show hits screens, they are keeping options open.
Despite reports claiming one option was to keep the celebrity and dance professionals in isolation together, insiders insisted this was not plausible due to family ties yet a shortened run is one option on the table.
Big changes: Strictly bosses are assessing contingency plans for the upcoming series, as the TV industry continues to be thrown into chaos by the coronavirus pandemic (Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher pictured)
Strictly Come Dancing joins a legion of shows in being rocked by the ongoing global pandemic, meaning bosses have been forced to keep their options very open.
Insiders revealed: ‘Bosses are looking at contingency plans but just don’t know where there’ll be at. They don’t know what world we’ll be in…
‘The international versions are running. Germany has no audience and are isolating but not in any kind of Big Brother style. Isolating individually then rehearsing.
‘Strictly are looking at options. At this stage, there’s no chance they could isolate as individuals or couples. That would leave any married or parent dancers not seeing their families for up to three months…
Drama: Strictly Come Dancing joins a legion of shows in being rocked by the ongoing global pandemic, meaning bosses have been forced to keep their options very open (Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton pictured)
‘At the moment, it’s not being considered. No one knows where we’ll be in the world – if the series is a much shorter run, say. The isolation is not something that’s currently on the table. ‘
It comes after numerous TV favourites such as Line Of Duty, Call The Midwife, and even EastEnders were forced to halt filming due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has also placed the country in lockdown.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment.
The new series of Strictly is schedule to being production sometime in August, with the launch episode usually airing in early September.
Not yet: Strictly usually begins airing its new series in September, but this has been thrown into doubt due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown
Judge Motsi Mabuse is currently filming the German version of Strictly, which has been able to continue filming throughout the pandemic by using similar isolation measures.
On Monday pro Oti Mabuse – who was crowned series champion with Kelvin Fletcher last year – admitted Strictly’s future is still up in the air.
She said on Lorraine: ‘Right now we hope that everything’s gonna be okay, or are we not sure?
‘We’re just hoping that everything can be okay. I think at the moment it’s really important to listen to the government guidelines and just take it day by day.
‘The most important thing is that everyone is safe and everyone is healthy. So, at the moment, we’re all just isolated together. We’re all in the same boat really.’
The pandemic has already thrown the TV industry into chaos, with numerous series forced to halt filming including Line Of Duty, Casualty and Holby City.
Others such as Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and The Last Leg continued without a studio audience, and some such as Have I Got News For You resuming by filming entire episodes on webcam.
Worries: On Monday pro Oti Mabuse – who was crowned series champion last year – admitted Strictly’s future is still up in the air
The nation was placed in lockdown on Monday 23 March due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning members of the public must stay in their homes.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted members of the public may only leave their homes for essential food shopping, daily exercise and to travel to and from work.
A majority of the nation are now working from home, with public transport only running to carry key workers, such as NHS staff.
Success story: Judge Motsi Mabuse is currently filming the German version of Strictly, which has been able to continue filming throughout the pandemic using similar isolation measures