Strictly Come Dancing confirms Dave Arch's role in 2020 series
There were fears for the big band earlier in the year.
Strictly Come Dancing simply wouldn't be Strictly without Dave Arch and his fab-u-lous band.
There had been fears for their inclusion on the 2020 series following the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines.
But, the BBC has now confirmed there is of course a place for the musical maestros.
Speaking ahead of the 2020 launch, Strictly Come Dancing executive producer Sarah James told press including RadioTimes.com Arch would of course be present.
"I'm very pleased to say Dave Arch will be back. I can't imagine Strictly without Dave Arch and the band," she revealed.
"There will of course be some differences. We aren't able to fit the whole band in the pit, so some of them will record during the week. But Dave will be there, the singers will be there, and a few other key members will be there."
Arch and The Strictly Come Dancing Band have been a core part of the show since it's launch, with Tommy Blaize, Andrea Grant, Lance Ellington and Hayley Sanderson taking up the singing roles in it.
Each week, they transport us to the ballroom with their stunning renditions of both popular and classic tunes for the Strictly Come Dancing line-up to perform to.
What's more, they also accompany the Strictly Come Dancing professionals during the stunning group dances.
James also confirmed more changes to the new series, which is set to air in October.
Firstly, there are fewer celebrities in the line-up as we prepare for a nine-week run of live shows. She confirmed there will be no elimination in week one, meaning week two will see the departure of one of the famous faces.
The celebrities and the professionals have had to take drastic measures to ensure they aren't in breach of government social distancing guidelines.
Either the pro or the celeb have to live alone in order to form a close contact bubble and the launch show will looks slightly different.
James explained: "We will still have a group dance with all the celebrities so everyone will have a little taste of what the celebrities can do but obviously when they dance together this won’t be possible this year, so the celebrities will just be dancing with their pro partners for that number.
"Obviously we will still have group dances, we will have our guest music act, and the big difference is we’re going to be pairing up our dancers in VT, not in studio. It’s a bit more difficult with distancing, but we’ve got some incredible locations for our VTs, so I’m very excited how that will look."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One in Autumn. To find out what else is on in the meantime, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
