Strictly will bring back ALL themed weeks, a live audience and the usual 15 ...

Strictly will bring back ALL themed weeks, a live audience and the usual 15 ...
Strictly will bring back ALL themed weeks, a live audience and the usual 15 ...

Strictly Come Dancing was famously disrupted in 2020 thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

But it seems things are back to normal in 2021 - apart from one or two factors still deemed too tricky to navigate amid the global health crisis.

Show boss Sarah James has told The Mirror: 'We're so thrilled that Strictly will be returning for a full-length series this year, and know how much viewers are looking forward to getting their full Strictly fix and seeing the return of much-loved specials.

'The full fix!' Strictly will bring back ALL themed weeks, a live audience and the usual 15 celeb contestants [pictured Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher during Halloween Week 2019]

'The full fix!' Strictly will bring back ALL themed weeks, a live audience and the usual 15 celeb contestants [pictured Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher during Halloween Week 2019]

'We are all so sad that we won't be able to get to Blackpool this year but can't wait to be back dancing at the one and only Blackpool Tower Ballroom in the future.'

The Blackpool episode ordinarily takes place near the end of the series, but was axed last year with restrictions throwing up logistical difficulties on the production.

But 2021 will include the show's themed weeks - such as movie week, musicals week and Halloween week.

Last year, these were scrapped, proving too complicated to manage amid the pandemic. 

Still a no-go: Blackpool has been axed AGAIN due to the ongoing pandemic

Still a no-go: Blackpool has been axed AGAIN due to the ongoing pandemic

The show's Christmas special will also be back, with the show set to start in its usual early-autumn time slot, rather than in October, like last year.

It's said rather than a fewer number of celebs, the full 15 will be taking part again, having cut this to 12 last series.

There are also plans to reinstate the live audience too - another aspect disallowed last season.

Isolation will remain in place for the professional dancers. This will see them sent to a hotel near the Strictly studios in Hertfordshire several weeks ahead of the show's return.

Show boss Sarah James said: 'We are all so sad that we won't be able to get to Blackpool this year but can't wait to be back dancing at the one and only Blackpool Tower Ballroom in the future'

Show boss Sarah James said: 'We are all so sad that we won't be able to get to Blackpool this year but can't wait to be back dancing at the one and only Blackpool Tower Ballroom in the future'

The celebs - who will start to be gradually revealed at the end of the summer - will also not have the usual three-week gap between being paired up with their pros and dancing for the first time on live TV.

This has been reduced to one week thanks to logistical factors.

Of course one thing bound not to change is the annual speculation around the so-called Strictly Curse.

And the curse has already hit, as new professional Kai Widdrington has split from his long-term girlfriend.

The former Britain's Got Talent star, 25, is one of four new dancers that will dazzle in the ballroom this autumn and had been in a relationship with fellow dancer Giulia Dotta, 29, for five years. 

Sad: Strictly Come Dancing has been hit by the infamous 'curse' already as new professional Kai Widdrington has split from his long-term girlfriend (pictured in 2019)

Sad: Strictly Come Dancing has been hit by the infamous 'curse' already as new professional Kai Widdrington has split from his long-term girlfriend (pictured in 2019) 

A spokesperson for Giulia - who is Italian - confirmed to The Mirror that they were no longer together.  They went their separate ways nine months ago.

The pair worked on Ireland's Dancing With The Stars together which has run for four series. 

source told the publication: 'Signing up to Strictly is like a death sentence for almost any relationship.'

Friends added that they thought Kai and Giulia would eventually get married and have children.

The alleged Strictly curse sees couples break up and fall for their professional dance partners.  

It's over: The former BGT star, 25, is one of four new dancers that will dazzle in the ballroom this autumn and had been in a relationship with fellow dancer Giulia Dotta, 29, for five years

It's over: The former BGT star, 25, is one of four new dancers that will dazzle in the ballroom this autumn and had been in a relationship with fellow dancer Giulia Dotta, 29, for five years

Last year Kai joked about proposing on live TV, saying: 'If I proposed in this setting she would absolutely kill me.'

Kai is now living with fellow Strictly dancing hunk Giovanni Pernice, 30, who recently started dating Love Island 's Maura Higgins.    

Kai appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2012 aged 16 and made it to the final. 

He has previously worked as a professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars Ireland, since its first series in 2017. He finished twice as Runner-up on the show in 2018 and 2020.

Upset: A spokesperson for Giulia - who is Italian - confirmed to The Mirror that they were no longer together

Upset: A spokesperson for Giulia - who is Italian - confirmed to The Mirror that they were no longer together

Kai was all set to follow in his dads footsteps by becoming a professional footballer, but aged 9 decided to take up dancing

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