Craig Revel Horwood reveals dancers have been isolating for WEEKS

Craig Revel Horwood has revealed this year's Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancers have had to isolate since August in order to take part on the show. 

The outspoken judge, 56, told Kate Thornton that celebrity contestants are 'not allowed' to visit anyone outside of their family for the entirety of the show - despite lockdown restrictions being fully eased in England.

The star likened the Covid restrictions to 'a prison sentence', saying: 'It's a little bit of a prison sentence but at least it's a fun one!'

Craig spoke to Kate Thornton on her podcast White Wine Question Time, about how the BBC have adapted to life after Covid in order to air the glittering dance contest.

Craig told Kate: 'They're making it work, even if it's a major, major sort of lockdown situation, they're making it work.'

He revealed that TV bosses are 'keeping a similar format' this year on the show to that of last year.  

'Keeping a similar format of course this year, isolating the dancers for the month of August in a hotel so they're all learning and rehearsing altogether, learning all the stuff and the material that they're going to film for the group numbers.

'They're gonna do group numbers because they've all been isolated, they won't have seen anyone for months so it's like a little bit of a prison sentence but at least it's a fun one!'

He continued: 'They're getting to dance together, see each other and have fun and they're all in the same hotel so they're isolated at the moment and then in September we pre-record all the group numbers which is unusual.

'We normally do those live or pre-record

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