Strictly Come Dancing live tour delayed until 2022

Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancers are to tour next year, minus the celebrities

Strictly Come Dancing's 2021 live arena tour has been put back until 2022, due to coronavirus concerns.

Many events have bitten the dust this year due to the pandemic, which is now also starting to affect next year's.

Strictly fans can, however, book tickets for the delayed tour from next week.

Two other tours involving one involving the show's dance professionals, will go ahead in 2021, it was announced on Thursday.

The delayed celeb-packed Strictly Come Dancing Live Arena Tour will now kick off in Birmingham on 20 January 2022, before heading to Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, and beyond.

But for people who cannot wait until then to see some dancing in the flesh, summer 2021 will see two other productions, featuring an array of Strictly professional dancers and special guests.

[L-R] Bill Bailey, Clara Amfo, HRVY and Jacqui Smith will all hit the dancefloor this month

Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals will return with a month-long tour that begins at the Brighton Centre on 7 May, before finishing in Edinburgh on 4 June.

The likes of Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkov, and Graziano Di Prima are all set to appear.

Next year will also see a brand-new show entitled Strictly Presents: The Power of Dance, featuring professional dancers like Janette Manrara, Amy Dowden and Neil Jones.

The second tour, which will open in June next year, has been directed and choreographed by former Strictly professional Trent Whiddon and his wife and dance partner Gordana Grandosek.

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The popular annual BBC TV series, Strictly Come Dancing, sees celebrities join with professional dancing partners to compete in a ballroom competition.

This year's contest, which hits our screens from next weekend, will include the likes of comic actor Bill Bailey, TV/radio presenter Clara Amfo, and former home secretary Jacqui Smith, and will be shorter than usual.

In the build-up to series 18, the contestants stayed in a hotel ahead of pre-recording all the group dances; and last week it was revealed that singer HRVY had tested positive for the virus.

He is self-isolating for at least 10 days, and pending a negative test should not miss any of the action.