Is there a Strictly Christmas special 2020?

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present the Strictly Christmas special
(Image credit: Getty)

Strictly Come Dancing 2020 currently has just a few weeks to go before the final but is there going to be a Strictly Christmas special this year for us to look forward to?

Strictly is currently on our screens every Saturday and the likes of Ranvir Singh and Maisie Smith are just a few of the celebrities heading for the Strictly final 2020 to compete for the Glitterball.

Many fans are worrying about what they're going to watch at the weekend once the BBC dance competition is finished. But there are usually hopes of a Strictly Christmas special to give us one last dose of dance floor drama before Boxing Day.

Other TV shows are still airing special episodes for Christmas this year despite the pandemic, including the Vicar of Dibley, Call the Midwife, The Million Pound Cube and two Great British Bake Off specials.

And with the show confirmed for next year, fans will be excited to know who is on Strictly Come Dancing 2021?

But, having already cancelled this year's Strictly tour, here's what the Strictly producers have decided to do...

Will there be a Strictly Christmas special 2020?

Yes, there will be a Strictly Christmas special 2020 - but not as we know it. Instead of the Christmas special, there will be a show called Strictly: The Christmas Countdown.

Usually, the Christmas special sees past contestants returning to perform a festive-themed dance. But, due to the new tier system rules amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this can't go ahead this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-KbMBvGRAA

To ensure Strictly could go ahead as normal this year, producers had to opt for a shorter competition than normal and choose to axe the Christmas special.

In a statement, the BBC said: “The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year.

“To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around Covid-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual… The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us.”

Strictly Come Dancing logo ahead of the Strictly final 2020

The Strictly Come Dancing final will be on Saturday 19th December 2020.

What is Strictly: The Christmas Countdown and when is it on TV?

In a similar vein to the Strictly: The Best Of… series broadcast earlier this year, Strictly: The Christmas Countdown will highlight 25 of the most memorable dances from the show’s 16-year history.

The special will have commentary from presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The judges, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Bruno Tonioli will also feature. As will the professional dancers and past contestants from the show.

It will also be kicking off with a brand new festive dance routine from the Strictly professionals - who all isolated together for two weeks earlier this year in order to dance together.

A date has not yet been confirmed for Strictly: The Christmas Countdown yet, but as it is part of the BBC's festive schedule, it's likely we'll see it on our screens at some point between Christmas and the New Year.

Hayley is a Celebrity Features Editor with more than five years' experience in online and magazines. She currently looks after all things celebrity for Woman, Woman’s Own, Woman’s Weekly, Woman & Home, and Goodto.com. Before joining Future, Hayley spent a year as a TV reporter for Mirror Online and a year and a half as a showbiz and TV reporter for OK! Online - but was forced to write about tech and cars for a year before that, despite knowing nothing about either!.