Anton du Beke has admitted he has no idea how dancing in a couple on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ will work with the two-metre social-distancing rule.
The BBC One ballroom and Latin show’s veteran has admitted it’s going to be "tricky" to work out how to make the dances work amid the coronavirus pandemic, as the celebrities and their professional dancers wouldn’t be able to dance together in hold with the current guidelines from the UK government.
In an interview with RadioTimes.com, he said: "This is where it stars to get a bit tricky because when we start, then we have to start dancing together and it’s not really easy to do what we do two metres apart from each other.
"I don’t know what the contingency is for that part of the show."
The 53-year-old choreographer insisted that ultimately Prime Minister Boris Johnson will "dictate" how they proceed.
He said: "All the pre-production stuff has been easy enough, they can just do that on Zoom or FaceTime or whatever platform they want to use, but the studio stuff, that’s where it’s going to get tricky.
"That I suppose is up to Boris [Johnson] really – he will dictate on what we’re allowed to do so we’ll have to wait and see on that bit."
However, Anton added that ‘Strictly’ is just what the UK nation needs during these uncertain times to boost morale.
He added: "I think there’ll be a desire for it this year because it is a wonderful thing. "It is a wonderfully uplifting show and a show of positivity, apart from Craig [Revel Horwood] of course. So I think we’ll be ready for a bit of that."
Anton’s comments come after it was claimed that the professional dancers could isolate in a hotel together for two weeks to practice group dances.
The pros are thought to be expected to start rehearsing dances at home before taking part in the joint isolation next month and then pre-recording group dances, as the BBC look to get this year’s series on, despite the health crisis.
A show spokesman said: "The BBC and the entire ‘Strictly’ family are working hard to ensure everyone can enjoy some much needed ‘Strictly’ sparkle later this year.
"Our professional dancers are set to start rehearsing remotely at the end of July. As we continue to follow the latest guidance from Public Health England and industry guidelines, we are considering isolating the dancers and key production members to enable our much-loved group numbers to continue.
"We’re incredibly proud of our professional dancers for their dedication to the show and their commitment to showcasing their love of dance to the nation.
"The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course."
It is thought the pros will pre-record their group dances in a small studio with a skeleton crew.
The insider added: "By pre-recording the performances ‘Strictly’ can ensure the big, impressive sets and huge production values will remain on the show – without 50 crew members changing up the set every week."