The launch of this year's Strictly Come Dancing has been postponed following the Queen's death. The start of the 2022 edition of the BBC One dance contest was hanging in the balance as it was due to air this coming Saturday (September 17), just two days before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last Thursday (September 8) that the late monarch died peacefully at Balmoral aged 96. Her journey back to London began on Saturday and continues today, Tuesday, when her coffin will leave Edinburgh and be flown to RAF Northolt and then taken to Buckingham Palace.
Since the news of the Queen's ill health broke hours before her death was announced at around 6.30pm last Thursday, the likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have made significant changes to their TV schedules to make way for rolling news coverage and special programming.
READ MORE: BBC EastEnders fans praise soap for 'touching' tribute to Queen as they add last-minute scene
And it has now been announced that Strictly Come Dancing will launch at a later date. As mentioned, BBC One's flagship was initially scheduled to return on Saturday, September 17 with the likes of Kym Marsh, Will Mellor, and Matt Goss among the celebrities taking part.
However, it will now start on Friday, September 23, at 7pm with the pre-recorded launch show and the first live show taking place on Saturday, September 24.
The dancing and sparkly juggernaut will return with a bunch of new famous faces ready to learn the difference between the cha-cha-cha and the Charleston. Meanwhile, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back to host the show and keep the Strictly ship running as smoothly as possible on a Saturday night.
And the show wouldn't be complete without the judges as Anton Du Beke will once again take his place on the panel alongside Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and head judge Shirley Ballas.
The 15 celebrities on the line-up were officially announced in full last month and include presenter Helen Skelton, singer Matt Goss and former Coronation Street stars Kym Marsh and Will Mellor
X Factor star Fleur East, former England football captain Tony Adams, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Molly Rainford, and Ted Lasso actress and comedian Ellie Taylor are all also putting on their dancing shoes alongside former EastEnders actor James Bye, and wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin.
Completing this year’s line-up is Kiss radio host Tyler West, Paralympic swimming gold medallist Ellie Simmonds, comedian and actress Jayde Adams, actor Will Mellor, Loose Women star Kaye Adams, actress Kym Marsh and TV and radio personality Richie Anderson.
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