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Strictly Come Dancing: Why will this season will be shorter than usual?

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There'll be fewer episodes of Strictly Come Dancing than usual this year.

The team behind the show say they've had to change the way it works because of the coronavirus outbreak, social-distancing rules and government guidelines.

A statement said: "The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year.

"To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around COVID-19, this year's series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual."

The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us.

— Strictly Come Dancing
Image caption,

2019 winners Kelvin Fletcher with Oti Mabuse

How will it be different?

The group dances, performed by the professionals, will all be pre-recorded in August.

The dancers will self-isolate together for two weeks so they can do this.

It will also have a knock-on effect on the dancers being paired up with their their celebrity partners, as they will also have to isolate for two weeks before being partnered with them.

With less time, this could also mean one or two fewer couples dancing in this series, although the Strictly team haven't confirmed an official number yet.

The next series is due to start around September, and it's been confirmed that the show will finish at its usual time in December.

Which celebrities would you like to see dancing in the next series? Let us know in the comments below.