This year’s Strictly Come Dancing line up set to feature ‘biggest names yet’

The Strictly Come Dancing 2020 line up will reportedly feature some of the biggest names yet.

The ongoing lockdown is said to have encouraged a number of celebs to say yes to the show.

It’s been claimed that Strictly bosses are offering double pay while cancellations of other TV, music and theatre projects have left big names free to sign up.

An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “We’ve signed up people we’ve been after for absolutely ages, who have said they were keen but were always tied up with other work.

“Lots are saying yes who have said no before, simply because they’ve actually got the time to fit it in their schedules.”

Celebrity names rumoured for the series already include Radio 1 DJ and TV presenter Maya Jama, comedian Catherine Tate and actress Michelle Keegan.

Also reportedly in the running is Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing who was forced to quit last year’s show just before the launch due to an injury.

While Strictly may be getting names there remains questions over how the series will be filmed this year.

The BBC has recently revealed that airing the series without an audience is one option currently on the table.

BBC director of content, Charlotte Moore said during a virtual talk at the Edinburgh TV Festival: “People think if it is a shiny floor it needs an audience and I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

“When you look at something like Drag Race which is a big shiny floor talent competition with all sorts of catwalks, singing, dancing, impressions – it never has an audience.

“The audience is the four judges and I don’t think it suffers from that at all. I think it is a brilliant show.”

Meanwhile, other plans for the series are said to include a shorter run with double eliminations.

Strictly Come Dancing typically begins in September on BBC One.