Strictly Come Dancing announces huge format change - including Christmas special
ok.co.ukThe BBC has announced that the new 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing will be the most accessible yet, as all the shows will feature live signing for the first time.The Christmas special, anniversary special, the live Saturday shows and the Sunday results shows will have live signing available on BBC iPlayer and the red button, and there will also be audio description and subtitling available as before.
The channel is going to focus more on British Sign Language next year as well, with the launch of a new BBC BSL season that aims to celebrate BSL with content across BBC platforms as well as online resources and material to help people learn to sign.
Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted programming at the BBC announced the move by saying: “Strictly Come Dancing has always been at the forefront of inclusivity and representation and I’m delighted that our 20th anniversary series will be the most accessible yet for our audience.
Introducing live signing, alongside audio description and subtitling, means that there are more options than ever for the whole audience to come together to experience the glitz and glamour of our Saturday and Sunday night shows. "This is a great launchpad for our exciting new BSL season next year which will feature special programming and online resources shining a spotlight on the beautiful language of BSL.” The D/deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) community has asked for more representation on screen, and while there has been an increase in D/deaf actors on screen in recent years in series like Disney+’s Hawkeye, Casualty, The Bay and EastEnders, there is still more work to be done.
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