Strictly Come Dancing is Back! – All You Need to Know

Strictly Come Dancing is back with another spectacular series of glitz, glamour and unforgettable performances with the brand new series promising to be extra special as Strictly turns 20!

Made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, Strictly Come Dancing, which recently won in the Best Entertainment category at the 2024 Bafta TV Awards, is presented by Tess Daly, who has presented during every series since the very first back in 2004, alongside the ever faithful Claudia Winkleman in the famous ballroom.

Here’s everything you need to know about the series – and the first live show!

• Watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist

What time is Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer?

Strictly Come Dancing is live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 28 September from 6.15pm. Watchlist it now.

Tess and Claud welcome our brand new couples back to the dance floor, and while they’re all still hoping for high scores from the judges, tonight they are dancing for your votes at home. The judges’ scores from the last two weeks will be combined, and at the end of the show, the public vote will open for the first time this series. Who will you be voting for?

This year’s series will include all the viewer favourite theme weeks; Movies, Halloween, Musicals and of course our week in the home of Ballroom, Blackpool.

And hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are on hand to welcome our celebrity contestants onto the Strictly dancefloor as they make their dancing debut.

• Read more: Strictly Come Dancing’s Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on 20 years of ballroom magic and live show prep – “The fake tanning starts in earnest on September 1st”

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing with British Sign Language

This autumn’s 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing will be the most accessible yet for our audience with live signing for the first time available on BBC iPlayer and red button.

This, alongside audio description and subtitling, means that more of our audience will be able to get involved, vote and enjoy the action during the live Saturday night shows, the Sunday results shows, the launch episode, the Christmas special and the upcoming 20th anniversary programme.

• Find out more: Strictly Come Dancing to be live signed for the first time

Strictly 2024 Week 1 Leaderboard

Strictly 2024 Song and Dance List

Here’s what the Strictly celebrities will be dancing to in Week Two…

• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell – Foxtrot to Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy by The Tams
• Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez – Foxtrot to Man! I Feel Like a Woman! By Shania Twain
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas – Rumba to Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers
• JB Gill and Amy Dowden – Cha Cha to Closer by Ne-Yo
• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe – Samba to Fuego by Eleni Foureira
• Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk – American Smooth to Parklife by Blur
• Paul Merson and Karen Hauer – Salsa to Fireball by Pitbull and John Ryan
• Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał – American Smooth to I Had Some Help by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen
• Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin – Charleston to The Charleston by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola – Paso Doble to Freed from Desire by Gala
• Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu – Tango to The Door by Teddy Swims
• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec – Viennese Waltz to Misty Blue by Dorothy Moore
• Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova – Cha Cha to Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire
• Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones – Jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike and Tina Turner
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones – Viennese Waltz to The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II

Who are the Strictly 2024 celebrity contestants?

The celebrity contestants taking part in Strictly Come Dancing 2024 are:

• Chris McCausland – Comedian
  
• JB Gill – Singer, TV presenter and author
  
• Wynne Evans – Broadcaster, presenter, and professionally trained opera singer
  
• Toyah Willcox – Singer and actress
  
• Dr Punam Krishan – Media medic and broadcaster
  
• Tasha Ghouri – Model and TV personality
  
• Pete Wicks – TV personality, author, radio and podcast host
  
• Shayne Ward – Actor and singer
  
• Sarah Hadland – Actress
  
• Jamie Borthwick – Actor
  
• Tom Dean MBE – Three-time Olympic swimming champion
  
• Montell Douglas – Gladiator and Olympian
• Nick Knowles – Bafta-winning TV presenter
  
• Paul Merson – Former footballer and broadcaster
• Sam Quek – Olympic and European Gold medallist, former England and Team GB hockey player and now a TV and Radio Presenter

Strictly Come Dancing 2024 Couples

Want to find out who’s dancing with who in 2024?

Meet the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 couples here.

We’ve been catching up with the Class of 2024 to find out why they said yes to Strictly, who the “dark horse” of the competition is and which dances they’re most looking forward to! Read the exclusive interviews and check out their Strictlified looks here.

• Meet the celebs: Strictly celeb contestants reveal why they signed up, who’s the ‘dark horse’ and the dances they’re most looking forward to
• Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2024 celebrity contestants confirmed

Who are the Strictly 2024 professional dancers?

Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola take to the Strictly dancefloor, guaranteeing viewers an abundance of spectacular routines. They’re ready to dazzle and delight with their extraordinary talent and choreography.

And they’re joined by Aljaž Škorjanec, who returns to the Strictly Come Dancing Ballroom as a Professional Dancer for the brand-new series. After a two year hiatus, fan favourite Aljaž is waltzing back onto our screens for the 20th year of the nation’s favourite dance show.

• Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2024 professional dancers reveal secret live show prep rituals and share hopes for Strictly’s future to mark 20th anniversary series

• Read more: Strictly Come Dancing celebrates two decades of dance as Presenters, Judges and Professional Dancers for 2024 are confirmed
• Read more: Aljaž Škorjanec returns to the Strictly Come Dancing Ballroom as a Professional Dancer

And, of course, Strictly Come Dancing Professional Dancer, Amy Dowden MBE, makes her much anticipated return to the Ballroom floor for the 20th year of the nation’s favourite dance show. She marked her momentous return with a special, celebratory group dance featuring all of the Professional Dancers.

The stunning Quickstep routine saw Amy front and centre as she dazzled the audience, alongside her fellow Professional Dancers. The empowering routine exuded glamour and was the perfect way to welcome Amy back for the 22nd series of Strictly Come Dancing, following her breast cancer diagnosis in May 2023. Amy’s husband and family were watching on in the audience at Elstree Studios.

The routine was choreographed by Jason Gilkison and is danced to a medley of Training Season by Dua Lipa, Busy Earnin’ and Keep Moving both by Jungle, and Candle Flame by Jungle and Eric the Architect, as performed by the wonderful Dave Arch and his band.

• Read more: Professional Dancer Amy Dowden’s return to the Strictly ballroom to be celebrated in group dance

Meet the Strictly 2024 Judges

The judges’ desks will see the return of the awesome foursome – Queen of Latin Shirley Ballas, the magnificent Motsi Mabuse, the fantastically fab-u-lous Craig Revel-Horwood and the always effervescent Anton Du Beke.

• Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2024 Judges reveal their secret live show treats, explain how they spot a finalist and tease outfit surprises for Strictly’s 20th year

There will also be so much more for viewers to look forward to, including the phenomenal musical backdrop provided by Dave Arch and his wonderful band and the amazing singers, unforgettable group routines, world class music acts performing in the Strictly Ballroom, theme weeks and of course the much anticipated trip to the North West of England as the show takes up residency for one week only in the iconic and much loved Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.

Strictly It Takes Two is back for 2024

The dynamic duo, Janette Manrara and Fleur East, will return to BBC Two and iPlayer with Strictly It Takes Two from 6.30pm on Monday 23 September and they’ll be bringing viewers all the behind-the scenes glamour and gossip.​

• Read more: Strictly It Takes Two’s Janette Manrara and Fleur East tease “more mayhem” as the series celebrates its 20th anniversary
• Strictly It Takes Two returns with Janette Manrara and Fleur East

Strictly 20th Anniversary Special

Viewers are in for an extra special 20th birthday treat as an unmissable one-off programme will also be coming to BBC One and iPlayer that promises a journey through 20 years of unforgettable entertainment featuring iconic performances and plenty of heart-warming interviews with past celebrity stars, professional dancers, and judges too.

The programme, made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, will showcase why Strictly Come Dancing has captured the hearts of the nation for the past 20 years as one of the BBC’s best known and well-loved programmes.

See also: Dr Amir Khan Among University of Liverpool Alumni Award Winners