Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team at 10 Downing Street are said to be "aware" that tonight's episode of Strictly Come Dancing is scheduled to begin at 7.10pm as the UK awaits his press conference.

The briefing, in which Johnson is expected to announce a new month-long lockdown for England effective from this Thursday, was originally due to be held at 4pm but has since been postponed several times and is now due to begin at 6.30pm.

BBC One has already been forced to drop the semi-final of Little Mix: The Search for the announcement and there are now fears that Strictly could also be postponed if there are any further delays.

The ballroom contest returned for its first live show last weekend and pulled in more than 10 million viewers.

Posting on Twitter about the delays to the press conference, former BBC political editor Nick Robinson told followers: "Insiders insist there's been no trouble. PM had to squeeze three days prep - calls, briefings, writing - for the big announcement into a few hours thanks to last night's National lockdown leak. No 10 well aware that @bbcstrictly is on at [7.10] pm."

> Strictly Come Dancing, week two: Dances and songs revealed