Dancing with the Stars goes to extreme measures to stage the finale despite COVID-19 restrictions – and host Amanda Keller is even prepared to travel 10 hours by car if her flight is cancelled
After attracting criticism for continuing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Dancing with the Stars has taken extreme measures to finish out the season safely, including pushing the show’s finale forward to this weekend.
Host Amanda Keller gave fans an insight into what’s been going behind the scenes during a segment on her WSFM radio show, Jonesy & Amanda, on Friday.
‘Every precaution has been taken but the show will go on,’ she said, adding that the cast and crew have been been ‘rolling with the punches’ for weeks as the situation changes.
Extreme measures: Dancing With the Stars host Amanda Keller gave fans an insight into what’s been going behind the scenes of the show during a segment on her WSFM radio show, Jonesy & Amanda, on Friday
Originally, the finale was due to air next Sunday (April 5), but Channel 10 has been forced to move it forward to this Sunday, the same day as the semi-finals.
Amanda, 58, said state border closures had prompted the change to the schedule.
She added that producers have cars on standby in cast she or co-host Grant Denyer are unable to fly out to Melbourne.
Fast forward: Originally, the show’s finale was due to air next Sunday, but Channel 10 has been forced to move it forward to this Sunday, the same day as the semi-finals
Amanda is based in Sydney while Grant lives in Bathurst. They have both been commuting to Melbourne on Sundays to film the show since early February.
‘Imagine that, being driven back from Melbourne! I’m hopeless. Any trip longer than 10 minutes and I can’t handle it,’ she said.
Amanda revealed there was another major change to this year’s finale: the ousted contestants won’t be coming back for one final dance-off.
Only the dancers still in the competition will be on set.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood will also be missing from the finale, after he was forced to fly back to the UK due to international lockdowns.
Keeping it small: She said that while the show’s ousted contestants usually return for the finale, they were unable to accommodate it this year, so it will just be the remaining stars in the competition
But he’ll be appearing on the show via a TV monitor from his home in England as he self-isolates following his flight.
Amanda said the show’s judges and hosts would have to observe a 1.5-metre distance between them, and joked they’d have to ‘get a wider lens’.
Reading an email sent by the show’s production team, Amanda explained the stars and their dance partners would still be allowed some physical contact.
Can touch this: Reading an email sent by the show’s production team, Amanda explained the stars and their dance partners would still be allowed some physical contact
‘Each celebrity and dance partner will be closer than 1.5 recommendation for the 90-second duration of their dance, and for 90 seconds during their judgement in the sky box. At other times, they’ll observe the social distancing recommendations,’ she read.
She explained that ‘because they’ve been dancing together for three months’, they’re deemed to be ‘family’, and are allowed to interact as though they live together.
‘They can’t dance just by touching elbows. There’s no way you can do a Viennese Waltz with 1.5 metres between you!’ she joked.
‘They can’t dance just by touching elbows. There’s no way you can do a Viennese Waltz with 1.5 metres between you!’ she joked