Len Goodman: "I'd be devastated if Strictly didn't go ahead"

Head Judge Shirley Ballas is 99 per cent sure Strictly will air in September, while former judge Arlene Phillips said they would work out a way of putting on a show.

Now former Head Judge, Len Goodman, famed for his love of the number seven, has chipped in, saying he's been speaking to one of his former Strictly colleagues and is convinced the show will happen.

"We need Strictly. I'd be devastated if it didn't go ahead because it's such a fantastic show," he told RadioTimes.com.

"I was talking to Craig Revel Horwood last week, we quite often have a chat, and we’re both convinced that Strictly will go ahead. It may not be in the exact format we’ve had in the past, maybe there won’t be a huge studio audience. I know on the German version the judges had perspex screens between them, I would have loved that because I wouldn’t have had Bruno smacking me in the face all the time!"

Len's successor as Head Judge, Shirley, recently suggested that the dance styles may have to be tweaked, so that the couples are no longer up close and personal during their routines, and Len agrees.

"There are lots of dances, especially the Latin ones, that don’t need a lot of contact," he said. "You might have to hold hands, but you can dance side by side, or make no contact like in street dance.

"In ballroom dances you’ve got to have body contact, they may be a little bit more of a challenge, but I’m sure the show can overcome it. The BBC are on the ball, they will be checking all the time that nobody is overheating so I’m sure that Strictly will happen."

Len was speaking to us as he is currently working with Smart Energy GB on a campaign to raise awareness of the advice available to older people who may have energy bill concerns. Anyone worried can click here for help and support.

"There’s nothing worse than having money worries, and older people want to know ways to cut back on their utility bills now that they're self-isolating and using more electricity," he says. "During lockdown, my wife and I have been doing lots of things that use no energy at all - playing a bit of Scrabble, reading, doing a jigsaw and growing vegetables. We've even been spring cleaning!"

Strictly Come Dancing is due to return to BBC1 in September.

To find out what else is on in the mean time, check out our TV Guide.