How are all the 2020 Strictly stars back for the final – despite COVID restrictions?
The previous contestants are all back for one more dance
This year's series of Strictly Come Dancing has taken place under unusual circumstances, with the producers forced to navigate the constantly changing coronavirus restrictions in order to deliver an exciting series for fans.
But despite all the challenges, Strictly has managed to bring back the entire Strictly Come Dancing line-up for this year's final.
All of the 2020 contestants have been invited Elstree – and they'll be dancing for one last time. Plus, we'll see the return of Nicola Adams, who was forced to pull out of the competition part-way through after her professional partner Katya Jones tested positive for the virus.
But if you're wondering how they were able to return without breaking the coronavirus restrictions, we have an explanation!
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RadioTimes.com understands that while the contestants were in 'bubbles' for the duration of their time on the show, with one of each couple having to live alone, different arrangements have been made on this occasion.
The returning celebs and their professional partners are in 'close contact cohorts' as opposed to bubbles, meaning that they will still get to return to their families after their dance during the final, after each being tested for coronavirus.
The reason the contestants won't have to live alone ahead of their performance is because it's considered lower risk due to this being just a one-off performance, rather than for a prolonged time period.
Under industry-wide guidelines for UK broadcasters drawn up during the pandemic, a "cohort" is defined as a small number of people who "unavoidably need to be in close contact with each other" and will therefore "need to breach the prevailing social distancing measures within the course of their work."
The final sees each of the four remaining celebrities and their professional partners dance three routines, with Maisie Smith, Jamie Laing, Bill Bailey and HRVY vying for the glitterball trophy.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
