Strictly Come Dancing fans who missed the memo about the launch show being pushed snack from its intended air date were left confused on Saturday, as they expected to be sitting down to a night of ballroom action.
However, instead of seeing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman welcome the judges and dancers back for a new series, the BBC dedicated its intended slot to coverage of the Queen’s grandchildren staging a very moving vigil to her in Westminster Hall, where Her Majesty’s body is lying in state.
BBC One fell silent for 20 minutes as the likes of Princes William and Harry and Zara Tindall stood with their heads bowed. The vigil was itself a last minute addition to the schedule and after Sophie Raworth ended coverage from the Hall, the BBC then switched to an episode of The Repair Shop, rather than the advertised Pointless Celebrities.
