Strictly Come Dancing: premiere delayed following death of Queen Elizabeth II

The BBC has announced that Strictly Come Dancing’s return to the silver screen after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday 8 September, and marked the beginning of a 10 day mourning period for the United Kingdom.

The 10 day mourning period will conclude with the Queen’s state funeral which is scheduled to be held on Monday 19 September.

The BBC confirmed that instead of televising the launch of Strictly’s new series this would be broadcasting the first Paddington film on Saturday 17 September in its place.

This is a mark of respect for The Queen as she starred alongside the popular bear in a sketch to mark her Platinum Jubilee this year.

The BBC also confirmed that Paddington 2 will be shown on Monday 19 September following the coverage of Her Majesty’s funeral.

So, when will Strictly make its return to the silver screen? Here’s everything you need to know about the return of the show.

When will Strictly Come Dancing return?

Fans won’t have to wait too much longer for the show to return.

The launch show was recorded on Wednesday 7 September.

The show was originally scheduled to premiere this Saturday 17 September, however, it has been pushed back a week to acknowledge the mourning period the UK is currently in.

The show will now premier on Saturday 23 September, welcoming 15 celebrities to the famous dance floor in the most glamorous fashion.

As usual, the show is set to last for around three months, ending shortly before Christmas.

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2022?

The show will first air on BBC One every week, and can also be found streaming on BBC iPlayer after the airing of the show on TV.

If you missed out on the glamour last year, you can catch up on Series 19 of the show on BBC iPlayer to get you excited for the upcoming show.

Who is competing in Strictly Come Dancing 2022?

Strictly will once again bring a stellar line-up of your favourite celebrity contestants who will be dancing their hearts out for the nation on a weekly basis.

Previous contestants include the likes of Joe Sugg, Dan Walker and many more.

Here’s the full list of contestants you will see taking on the dance floor this series:

• Helen Skeleton - TV Presenter
• James Bye - Actor (EastEnders)
• Hamza Yassin - Wildlife cameraman
• Fluer East - Singer
• Tony Adams - Former footballer
• Molly Rainford - Singer and actor
• Ellie Taylor - Comedian and actor
• Matt Goss - Singer
• Tyler West - TV Presenter and radio host
• Ellie Simmonds - Paralympic swimming gold medalist
• Jayde Adams - Comedian, actor and presenter
• Kaye Adams - TV Presenter
• Richie Anderson - TV and radio presenter
• Will Mellor - Actor
• Kym Marsh - Actor and singer

You can find a full breakdown of the Strictly Come Dancing contestants on Edinburgh News.