Strictly Come Dancing
is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing
, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom
. The format has been exported to 30 other countries (see Dancing with the Stars
), and has also inspired a modern-dance themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever
.
The show has run on BBC One since 2004. A sixth series finished in December 2008, and there have been five stand-alone Christmas Specials -in consecutive years from 2004 to 2008. Series four was also shown as part of the BBC's line-up on its trial High Definition channel, BBC HD.
The final of the fourth and fifth series in December 2006 and 2007 respectively attracted audiences of over 12 million viewers, while the 2008 final had 13 million viewers.
|
STRICTLY COME DANCING TICKETS
|
Format
The show pairs a number of
celebrities with professional
ballroom dancers who each week compete against each other in a competition to impress a panel of judges and the viewing public in order to survive potential elimination. Through
telephone voting, viewers vote who they would like to stay, the results of the poll being combined with the ranking of the panel of judges. For example, with four contestants left, the judges' favourite would receive four points, second favourite three points, and so on, and similarly with the viewers' rankings.
[1] The profits from the telephone lines were donated to
Sport Relief in series 1, and to
Children in Need from series 2 to 5.
The show is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday evenings, and it is presented by
Bruce Forsyth and
Tess Daly. For some of the second series,
Natasha Kaplinsky stood in temporarily for Tess Daly while she took maternity leave. The judging panel consists of
Bruno Tonioli,
Arlene Phillips,
Len Goodman and
Craig Revel Horwood. Goodman and Tonioli commute weekly between Hollywood and London to judge both the American and British versions of the show simultaneously. Each judge gives the performance a mark out of ten, giving an overall total out of forty. The voice-over announcer is
Alan Dedicoat. During series four, an hour long highlight show was shown on Sundays at 7pm on BBC Two, and during series five, the results show moved to Sunday evenings, although it is filmed on Saturday and then broadcast "as live" each Sunday.
The singers on the show are
Priscilla Jones Campbell,
Hayley Sanderson,
Tommy Blaize ,
Lance Ellington and
Andrea Grant. The
music director is
David Arch. Lance Ellington and Tommy Blaize have been part of the
Strictly
since its beginning. In Series 3 Andrea Grant joined the singing team. David Arch and Priscilla Jones Campbell joined in the fourth series, and Hayley Sanderson in the fifth.
The show is broadcast from a specially constructed set at the
BBC Television Centre. However, in the first two series, shows were also filmed at the
Tower Ballroom in
Blackpool, where the original
Come Dancing
series was filmed in the 1970s.
[2] [3]
In the second series, two shows were filmed at the Tower Ballroom, show five and the Grand Final which was broadcast live on 11 December 2004.
[4] [5] In 2005 though the BBC announced that they would not be returning to the venue for the third series due to "logistical problems".
[6] In October 2008, Craig Revel Horwood called for the series to return to the Tower Ballroom saying, "the atmosphere was electric. It's huge and has so much history. The Tower Ballroom puts a lot of pressure on the professionals and the celebrities to perform to the best of their potential. What a wonderful place to go live to 12 million people. We have got to get the BBC to bring Strictly Come Dancing back to Blackpool."
[7]
Presenters
Years
| Presenter
| Show
|
2004-present
| Tess Daly
| Main show
|
2004-present
| Bruce Forsyth
| Main show
|
2004-present
| Claudia Winkleman
| It Takes Two
|
2008-present
| Kate Thornton
| Live Tour
|
2004
| Justin Lee Collins
| Strictly Come Dancing on Three
|
2004
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| Main show
|
2008
| Fearne Cotton
| Children in Need Special
|
Judges
Years
| Judge
|
2004-present
| Craig Revel Horwood
|
2004-present
| Len Goodman
|
2004-present
| Bruno Tonioli
|
2004-2008
| Arlene Phillips
|
2009-present
| Alesha Dixon
|
2009-present
| Darcey Bussell (guest judge)
|
Professional dancers
Years
| Professional
| Series
|
2004-present
| Brendan Cole
| Series 1-
|
2004-present
| Erin Boag
| Series 1-
|
2004-present
| Anton Du Beke
| Series 1-
|
2004-present
| Darren Bennett
| Series 2-
|
2004-present
| Ian Waite
| Series 2-
|
2004-present
| Lilia Kopylova
| Series 2-
|
2005-present
| Matthew Cutler
| Series 3-
|
2006-present
| Vincent Simone
| Series 4-
|
2006-present
| James Jordan
| Series 4-
|
2006-present
| Ola Jordan
| Series 4-
|
2006-present
| Flavia Cacace
| Series 4-
|
2008-present
| Kristina Rihanoff
| Series 6-
|
2008-present
| Brian Fortuna
| Series 6-
|
2009-present
| Katya Virshilas
| Series 7-
|
2009-present
| Natalie Lowe
| Series 7-
|
2009-present
| Aliona Vilani
| Series 7-
|
2004
| Kylie Jones
| Series 1
|
2004-2008
| Camilla Dallerup
| Series 1-6
|
2004
| Paul Killick
| Series 1-2
|
2004
| John Byrnes
| Series 1
|
2004
| Hannah Karttunen
| Series 1
|
2004
| Hazel Newberry
| Series 2
|
2004, 2006-2007
| Nicole Cutler
| Series 2, 4-5
|
2005
| Andrew Cuerden
| Series 3
|
2005
| Izabella Hannah
| Series 3
|
2005
| Hanna Haarala
| Series 3
|
2005-2008
| Karen Hardy
| Series 3-6
|
2008
| Hayley Holt
| Series 6
|
Controversy
The decision to drop Arlene Phillips from the judging line-up for the 2009 series of Strictly Come Dancing has led to much criticism being directed at the BBC for its handling of older female television personalities. Accusations have resurfaced that the BBC routinely discriminates against women in television based on their age. The most notable examples of purported age discrimination in the BBC include the release of newsreader
Moira Stewart in 2007 and the retirement of
Anna Ford in 2006. Other high profile BBC personalities such as
Selina Scott and
Kate Adie have also accused the BBC of age discrimination towards women.
[8] The axing of Arlene Phillips has led to an unprecedented intervention from the government's
Minister for Women and Equality,
Harriet Harman. During a session in the
House of Commons, Harman responded to questions stating that she believed the decision to drop Arlene Phillips was motivated by age discrimination and called on the BBC to ensure that she would be taking part in the new series. The BBC has not formally responded to this request, but has repeated its comments that the decision was not due to age.
[9]
Coaching
As of series four, coaches are
Jaclyn Spencer and
Chris Marques (aka
Cuban Groove) for
Salsa and
Mambo, and
Jenny Thomas and
Ryan Francois for
Swing and
Jive. The
Argentine Tango coaches in Series three were
Flavia Cacace and
Vincent Simone, both of whom have subsequently competed in the show.
Dance Off
From Series 5, a new system was introduced called the
Dance Off
. The Dance Off is performed by the two couples with the lowest scores following the judges' scores and public vote. After performing their dance again, the judges are asked one-by-one who they would like to save, and the couple with the most votes remains in the competition. If there is a tie, head judge Len Goodman has the deciding vote.
The results show is recorded on the Saturday night directly after the live show and incorporates the result of the viewers' votes which are completed by 21:30. This was confirmed by the official BBC website in 2008:
"The Sunday show is recorded on Saturday night but no element involving the results of the vote will start recording until after lines are closed and votes counted and verified." [10]
Throughout the results show the presenters refer to 'last night' in reference to the main show, due to the air date of the Sunday programme, and Tess Daly's dress is changed to present an illusion of a second live broadcast.
From Series 7, the Sunday results show will be axed and put back to Saturday nights as a result of a revamp of the show.
[11]
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
During the run of
Strictly Come Dancing
,
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
airs each week night on
BBC Two, hosted by
Claudia Winkleman. It features reviews of the performances during the previous Saturday show, and interviews with and training footage of the couples preparing for the next show. The judges and other celebrities also provide their opinions on how the couples are doing.
It Takes Two
replaces
Strictly Come Dancing on Three
, hosted by
Justin Lee Collins, which ran on
BBC Three during the first series.
BBC Two Scotland airs the programme on four nights only, running their own
Gaelic-language programming on Thursdays instead.
Main series
Series
| Première date
| Winning couple
| Runner-up couple
| Other contestants (in order of elimination)
| Number of couples
|
1
| 15 May 2004
| Natasha Kaplinsky & Brendan Cole
| Christopher Parker & Hanna Karttunen
| Jason Wood, David Dickinson, Verona Joseph, Claire Sweeney, Martin Offiah, Lesley Garrett.
| 8
|
2
| 23 October 2004
| Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett
| Denise Lewis & Ian Waite
| Quentin Willson, Carol Vorderman, Esther Rantzen, Diarmuid Gavin, Sarah Manners, Roger Black, Aled Jones, Julian Clary.
| 10
|
3
| 15 October 2005
| Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova
| Colin Jackson & Erin Boag
| Siobhan Hayes, Jaye Jacobs, Gloria Hunniford, Fiona Philips, Dennis Taylor, Will Thorp, Bill Turnbull, Patsy Palmer, James Martin, Zoe Ball.
| 12
|
4
| 7 October 2006
| Mark Ramprakash & Karen Hardy
| Matt Dawson & Lilia Kopylova
| Nicolas Owen, Mica Paris, Jimmy Tarbuck (withdrew), DJ Spoony, Georgina Bouzova, Jan Ravens, Ray Fearon, Peter Schmeichel, Claire King, Carol Smillie, Louisa Lytton, Emma Bunton.
| 14
|
5
| 6 October 2007
| Alesha Dixon & Matthew Cutler
| Matt Di Angelo & Flavia Cacace
| Brian Capron, Stephanie Beecham, Willie Thorne, Gabby Logan, Dominic Littlewood, Penny Lancaster-Stewart, Kate Garraway, John Barnes, Kelly Brook (withdrew), Kenny Logan, Letitia Dean, Gethin Jones.
| 14
|
6
| 20 September 2008
| Tom Chambers & Camilla Dallerup
| Rachel Stevens & Vincent Simone
| Phil Daniels, Gillian Taylforth, Gary Rhodes, Jessie Wallace, Don Warrington, Mark Foster, Andrew Castle, Heather Small, Cherie Lunghi, John Sergeant (withdrew), Jodie Kidd, Christine Bleakley, Austin Healey, Lisa Snowdon.
| 16
|
7
| 18 September 2009
|
|
| Ali Bastian, Chris Hollins, Craig Kelly, Jade Johnson, Jo Wood, Joe Calzaghe, Laila Rouass, Lynda Bellingham, Martina Hingis, Natalie Cassidy, Phil Tuffnell, Rav Wilding, Richard Dunwoody, Ricky Groves, Ricky Whittle, Zoe Lucker
| 16 [12]
|
Series 1
15 May to 3 July 2004, in order of elimination
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Jason Wood (Comedian)
| Kylie Jones
| Week 2
|
David Dickinson (Bargain Hunt presenter)
| Camilla Dallerup
| Week 3
|
Verona Joseph (Former Holby City Star)
| Paul Killick
| Week 4
|
Claire Sweeney (Actress/TV Presenter)
| John Byrnes
| Week 5
|
Martin Offiah (Former Rugby Player)
| Erin Boag
| Week 6
|
Lesley Garrett (Singer)
| Anton du Beke
| Week 7
|
Christopher Parker (Eastenders Actor)
| Hanna Karttunen
| Final (second place)
|
Natasha Kaplinsky
(Newsreader)
| Brendan Cole
| Series winners
|
Judges' scoring summary
Bold
scores indicate the highest for that week.
Red indicates the lowest score. * indicates that this couple was in the bottom two.
Team
| Week 1
| Week 2
| Week 3
| Week 4
| Week 5
| Week 6
| Week 7
| Week 8 Final
|
Natasha/Brendan
| 27
| 31
| 26*
| 35
| 37
| 31+36
=67
| 36
+35
=71
| 36
+31
+35
=102
|
Christopher/Hanna
| 19
| 23
| 19
| 28
| 15
| 22+15=37
| 21+16=37*
| 24+17+22=63
|
Lesley/Anton
| 29
| 27
| 29
| 30*
| 27*
| 34
+26=60*
| 33+29=62*
| Eliminated
|
Martin/Erin
| 25
| 21
| 21
| 24
| 22
| 24+24=48*
| Eliminated
|
Claire/John
| 27
| 26
| 34
| 31
| 32*
| Eliminated
|
Verona/Paul
| 27
| 24
| 24
| 24*
| Eliminated
|
David/Camilla
| 16
| 21*
| 20*
| Eliminated
|
Jason/Kylie
| 21
| 19*
| Eliminated
|
Average chart
>
Rank by average
| Place
| Couple
| Total
| Number of dances
| Average
|
1
| 1
| Natasha & Brendan
| 396
| 12
| 33.0
|
2
| 5
| Claire & John
| 150
| 5
| 30.0
|
3
| 3
| Lesley & Anton
| 264
| 9
| 29.3
|
4
| 6
| Verona & Paul
| 99
| 4
| 24.8
|
5
| 4
| Martin & Erin
| 161
| 7
| 23.0
|
6
| 2
| Christopher & Hanna
| 241
| 12
| 20.1
|
7
| 8
| Jason & Kylie
| 40
| 2
| 20.0
|
8
| 7
| David & Camilla
| 57
| 3
| 19.0
|
Dances performed
Team
| Week 1
| Week 2
| Week 3
| Week 4
| Week 5
| Week 6
| Week 7
| Week 8 Final
|
Natasha & Brendan
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Tango, Rumba
| Waltz, Paso Doble
| Quickstep, Samba, Freestyle
|
Christopher & Hanna
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Waltz, Paso Doble
| Tango, Rumba
| Waltz, Jive, Freestyle
|
Lesley & Anton
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Tango
| Paso Doble
| Samba
| Foxtrot, Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep, Jive
|
|
Martin & Erin
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Quickstep, Cha-Cha-Cha
|
|
|
Claire & John
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Tango
| Paso Doble
| Samba
|
|
|
|
Verona & Paul
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Jive
| Paso Doble
|
|
|
|
|
David & Camilla
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Tango
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jason & Kylie
| Waltz
| Rumba
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eliminated
Second place
Winner
The dances performed during Series 1 were as follows:
- Week 1 : Cha Cha Cha / Waltz
- Week 2 : Quickstep / Rumba
- Week 3 : Tango / Jive
- Week 4 : Foxtrot / Paso Doble
- Week 5 : Samba
- Week 6 : 2 dances not yet tackled from previous weeks
- Week 7 : 2 dances not yet tackled from previous weeks
- Week 8 : Favourite Ballroom, Favourite Latin & Freestyle Dance
Highest and lowest scoring performances
The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' marks are as follows:
Dance
| Best dancer(s)
| Best score
| Worst dancer(s)
| Worst score
|
Cha Cha Cha
| Natasha Kaplinsky/Verona Joseph
| 27
| David Dickinson
| 16
|
Jive
| Lesley Garrett
| 29
| Christopher Parker
| 17
|
Rumba
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 36
| Jason Wood
| 19
|
Paso doble
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 35
| Christopher Parker
| 15
|
Samba
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 37
| Christopher Parker
| 15
|
Waltz
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 36
| Jason Wood
| 21
|
Quickstep
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 36
| David Dickinson
| 21
|
Foxtrot
| Natasha Kaplinsky
| 35
| Martin Offiah
| 24
|
Tango
| Claire Sweeney
| 34
| David Dickinson
| 20
|
Series 2
23 October to 11 December 2004, in order of elimination
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Quentin Willson
| Hazel Newberry
| Week 1
|
Carol Vorderman
| Paul Killick
| Week 2
|
Esther Rantzen
| Anton du Beke
| Week 3
|
Diarmuid Gavin
| Nicole Cutler
| Week 4
|
Sarah Manners
| Brendan Cole
| Week 5
|
Roger Black
| Camilla Dallerup
| Week 6
|
Aled Jones
| Lilia Kopylova
| Week 7
|
Julian Clary
| Erin Boag
| Final (third place)
|
Denise Lewis
| Ian Waite
| Final (second place)
|
Jill Halfpenny
| Darren Bennett
| Series winners
|
Judges' scoring summary
Bold
scores indicate the highest for that week.
Red indicates the lowest score. * indicates they were in the bottom 2 couples.
Team
| Week 1
| Week 2
| Week 3
| Week 4
| Week 5
| Week 6
| Week 7
| Week 8 Final
|
Jill/Darren
| 27
| 32
| 35
| 34
| 35
| 32+36
=68
| 29+37
=66
| 34+40
=74
|
Denise/Ian
| 31
| 32
| 25*
| 30
| 32
| 34
+33=67
| 35
+36=71
*
| 38
+33=71
|
Julian/Erin
| 19
| 27
| 27
| 20
| 24*
| 28+27=55*
| 24+21=45
| 29+23=52
|
Aled/Lilia
| 29
| 27
| 32
| 25
| 30
| 29+27=56
| 27+30=57*
| Eliminated
|
Roger/Camilla
| 25
| 22
| 25
| 29
| 23
| 22+19=41*
| Eliminated
|
Sarah/Brendan
| 28
| 23
| 31
| 29*
| 23*
| Eliminated
|
Diarmuid/Nicole
| 12
| 12
| 14
| 17*
| Eliminated
|
Esther/Anton
| 24
| 16*
| 16*
| Eliminated
|
Carol/Paul
| 22*
| 20*
| Eliminated
|
Quentin/Hazel
| 8*
| Eliminated
|
Average chart
>
Rank by average
| Place
| Couple
| Total
| Number of dances
| Average
|
1
| 1
| Jill & Darren
| 371
| 11
| 33.7
|
2
| 2
| Denise & Ian
| 359
| 11
| 32.6
|
3
| 4
| Aled & Lilia
| 256
| 9
| 28.4
|
4
| 6
| Sarah & Brendan
| 134
| 5
| 26.8
|
5
| 3
| Julian & Erin
| 269
| 11
| 24.5
|
6
| 5
| Roger & Camilla
| 165
| 7
| 23.6
|
7
| 9
| Carol & Paul
| 42
| 2
| 21.0
|
8
| 8
| Esther & Anton
| 56
| 3
| 18.7
|
9
| 7
| Diarmuid & Nicole
| 55
| 4
| 13.8
|
10
| 10
| Quentin & Hazel
| 8
| 1
| 8.0
|
Dances performed
Team
| Week 1
| Week 2
| Week 3
| Week 4
| Week 5
| Week 6
| Week 7
| Week 8 Final
|
Jill/Darren
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Quickstep, Cha-Cha-Cha
| Tango, Paso Doble
| Foxtrot, Jive
|
Denise/Ian
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Quickstep, Cha-Cha-Cha
| Tango, Paso Doble
| Quickstep, Samba
|
Julian/Erin
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Tango
| Paso Doble
| Samba
| Waltz, Rumba
| Foxtrot, Jive
| Quickstep, Samba
|
Aled/Lilia
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Waltz, Rumba
| Tango, Paso Doble
|
|
Roger/Camilla
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Jive
| Foxtrot
| Samba
| Waltz, Rumba
|
|
|
Sarah/Brendan
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Tango
| Paso Doble
| Samba
|
|
|
|
Diarmuid/Nicole
| Cha-Cha-Cha
| Quickstep
| Tango
| Paso Doble
|
|
|
|
|
Esther/Anton
| Waltz
| Rumba
| Tango
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carol/Paul
| Waltz
| Rumba
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quentin/Hazel
| Cha-Cha-Cha
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eliminated
Third place
Second place
Winner
The dances performed during Series 2 were as follows:
- Week 1 : Cha Cha Cha / Waltz
- Week 2 : Quickstep / Rumba
- Week 3 : Tango / Jive
- Week 4 : Foxtrot / Paso Doble
- Week 5 : Samba
- Week 6 : 2 dances not yet tackled from previous weeks
- Week 7 : 2 dances not yet tackled from previous weeks
- Week 8 : Favourite Ballroom & Favourite Latin
Highest and lowest scoring performances
The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' marks are as follows:
Dance
| Best dancer(s)
| Best score
| Worst dancer(s)
| Worst score
|
Cha Cha Cha
| Jill Halfpenny
| 36
| Quentin Willson
| 8
|
Jive
| Jill Halfpenny
| 40
| Julian Clary
| 21
|
Rumba
| Jill Halfpenny/Denise Lewis
| 32
| Esther Rantzen
| 16
|
Paso doble
| Jill Halfpenny
| 37
| Diarmuid Gavin
| 17
|
Samba
| Jill Halfpenny
| 35
| Roger Black/Sarah Manners
| 23
|
Waltz
| Denise Lewis
| 31
| Carol Vorderman
| 22
|
Quickstep
| Denise Lewis
| 38
| Diarmuid Gavin
| 12
|
Foxtrot
| Jill Halfpenny
| 34
| Julian Clary
| 24
|
Tango
| Denise Lewis
| 35
| Diarmuid Gavin
| 14
|
Series 3
This series ran from 15 October to 17 December 2005. Over five million votes were cast, approximately three million of which were for the eventual champions, Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova.
[13] Over ten and a half million viewers tuned in to the final show, and the whole series raised £1.5 million for Children in Need.
[14]
The celebrities that took part in this series were as follows:
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Siobhan Hayes
| Matthew Cutler
| Week 1
|
Jaye Jacobs
| Andrew Cuerden
| Week 2
|
Gloria Hunniford
| Darren Bennett
| Week 3
|
Fiona Phillips
| Brendan Cole
| Week 4
|
Dennis Taylor
| Izabela Hannah
| Week 5
|
Will Thorp
| Hanna Haarala
| Week 6
|
Bill Turnbull
| Karen Hardy
| Week 7
|
Patsy Palmer
| Anton du Beke
| Week 8
|
James Martin
| Camilla Dallerup
| Week 9
|
Zoë Ball
| Ian Waite
| Final (third place)
|
Colin Jackson
| Erin Boag
| Final (second place)
|
Darren Gough
| Lilia Kopylova
| Series winners
|
Series 4
The show ran from 7 October to 23 December 2006. Over 12 million votes were cast, raising £1.5 million for Children in Need. A peak of 13 million viewers tuned in to the final show of series four to see Mark and Karen crowned 2006 Strictly Come Dancing champions.
The couples in order of elimination:
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Nicholas Owen
| Nicole Cutler
| Week 1
|
Jimmy Tarbuck
| Flavia Cacace
| Forced to withdraw for health reasons [15]
|
Mica Paris
| Ian Waite
| Week 2
|
DJ Spoony
| Ola Jordan
| Week 3
|
Georgina Bouzova
| James Jordan
| Week 4
|
Jan Ravens
| Anton du Beke
| Week 5
|
Ray Fearon
| Camilla Dallerup
| Week 6
|
Peter Schmeichel
| Erin Boag
| Week 7
|
Claire King
| Brendan Cole
| Week 8
|
Carol Smillie
| Matthew Cutler
| Week 9
|
Louisa Lytton
| Vincent Simone
| Week 10
|
Emma Bunton
| Darren Bennett
| Week 11 (third place)
|
Matt Dawson
| Lilia Kopylova
| Final (second place)
|
Mark Ramprakash
| Karen Hardy
| Series winners
|
Series 5
The fifth series of
Strictly Come Dancing
began on BBC One on 29 September 2007, with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returning as presenters. For the first time, the line up of professionals was unchanged from the previous series. The first programme was a catch-up show and preview to the new series, before the start of the competition on 6 October, which ran for 12 weeks. The show featured 14 new celebrities, who were paired with 14 professional dancers. In a change to the previous format, the results show was recorded on Saturday and broadcast on Sunday, rather than shown live later on Saturday. In addition to this, the two couples who were at the bottom of the table after the viewers' vote were subject to a dance-off, where they reprised their routine, for the judges to decide who left. Head Judge
Len Goodman had the casting vote in case of a tie. The series raised just over a million pounds for Children in Need
[16]
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Brian Capron
| Karen Hardy
| Week 1
|
Stephanie Beacham
| Vincent Simone
| Week 2
|
Willie Thorne
| Erin Boag
| Week 3
|
Gabby Logan
| James Jordan
| Week 4
|
Dominic Littlewood
| Lilia Kopylova
| Week 5
|
Penny Lancaster Stewart
| Ian Waite
| Week 6
|
Kate Garraway
| Anton du Beke
| Week 7
|
John Barnes
| Nicole Cutler
| Week 8
|
Kelly Brook
| Brendan Cole
| Withdrew due to bereavement [17]
|
Kenny Logan
| Ola Jordan
| Week 9
|
Letitia Dean
| Darren Bennett
| Week 10
|
Gethin Jones
| Camilla Dallerup
| Week 11 (third place)
|
Matt Di Angelo
| Flavia Cacace
| Final (second place)
|
Alesha Dixon
| Matthew Cutler
| Series winners
|
Series 6
A sixth series of the show was confirmed after the dancers' pay dispute was called off in late June 2008.
[18] The series lasted for 14 weeks, which is the longest series so far.
The series involved three new professional dancers,
Brian Fortuna,
Hayley Holt and
Kristina Rihanoff.
[19]
In July 2008 it was reported that current EastEnders cast members were banned from taking part in the competition due to the length of the series.
[20]
The sixth series began on 13 September with a behind-the-scenes look at the new series, followed by the first live show on 20 September.
[21]
On 19 November 2008, John Sergeant announced that he would be leaving the show because he believed he may "win it".
Celebrity
| Professional
| Voted out
|
Phil Daniels
| Flavia Cacace
| Week 1
|
Gillian Taylforth
| Anton du Beke
| Week 2
|
Gary Rhodes
| Karen Hardy
| Week 3
|
Jessie Wallace
| Darren Bennett
| Week 4
|
Don Warrington
| Lilia Kopylova
| Week 5
|
Mark Foster
| Hayley Holt
| Week 6
|
Andrew Castle
| Ola Jordan
| Week 7
|
Heather Small
| Brian Fortuna
| Week 8
|
Cherie Lunghi
| James Jordan
| Week 9
|
John Sergeant
| Kristina Rihanoff
| Withdrew [22]
|
Jodie Kidd
| Ian Waite
| Week 10
|
Christine Bleakley
| Matthew Cutler
| Week 11
|
Austin Healey
| Erin Boag
| Week 12
|
Lisa Snowdon
| Brendan Cole
| Final (third place)
|
Rachel Stevens
| Vincent Simone
| Final (second place)
|
Tom Chambers
| Camilla Dallerup
| Series winners
|
Series 7
The seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing will start of
Friday 18 September and will run until December 2009
. Tess Daly has signed a two year deal to continue presenting Strictly Come Dancing for at least the 2009 and 2010 series'
[23].
On 9 July, former competitor
Alesha Dixon was confirmed to be joining the judging panel for this series, and that
Darcey Bussell would be a guest judge towards the end of the series run. Dixon replaces Arlene Phillips who is moving to
The One Show
as a Strictly Come Dancing expert
[24]. It has been reported in the media that many of the show's professional dancers are furious at Phillips being replaced by Dixon. They apparently feel that they "will be judged by someone who knows less than they do about dancing"
[25]. Bosses at the BBC have also been accused of sexism, as none of the male judges on the show have been replaced. Dixon's fans are also unhappy as she has had to cancel a number of dates on her autumn tour in order to do the programme.
[26]
The official line-up was revealed on
25 August 2009 [27]:
Celebrity
| Professional
|
Zöe Lucker
| James Jordan
|
Joe Calzaghe
| Kristina Rihanoff
|
Ricky Groves
| Erin Boag
|
Lynda Bellingham
| Darren Bennett
|
Rav Wilding
| Aliona Vilani
|
Phil Tufnell
| Katya Virshilas
|
Martina Hingis
| Matthew Cutler
|
Ricky Whittle
| Natalie Lowe
|
Ali Bastian
| Brian Fortuna
|
Natalie Cassidy
| Vincent Simone
|
Chris Hollins
| Ola Jordan
|
Laila Rouass
| Anton du Beke
|
Jade Johnson
| Ian Waite
|
Richard Dunwoody
| Lilia Kopylova
|
Jo Wood
| Brendan Cole
|
Craig Kelly
| Flavia Cacace
|
Specials
2004 Christmas Special
This
Christmas special was broadcast live on 22 December 2004, featuring top couples from both of the first two series (with the exception of
Christopher Parker and
Julian Clary, who were not able to appear). The show was won by
Jill Halfpenny and
Darren Bennett.
In order of judges' placing
Celebrity
| Professional
| Place
| Judges' scores
| Dance
|
Martin Offiah
| Erin Boag
| 6th
| 6+6+7+7=26
| Jive
|
Aled Jones
| Lilia Kopylova
| 5th
| 7+7+8+8=30
| Samba
|
Lesley Garrett
| Anton du Beke
| 4th
| 7+8+8+8=31
| Waltz
|
Natasha Kaplinsky
| Brendan Cole
| 3rd
| 7+8+9+9=33
| Foxtrot
|
Denise Lewis
| Ian Waite
| 2nd
| 9+9+9+10=37
| Quickstep
|
Jill Halfpenny
| Darren Bennett
| 1st
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Jive
|
2005 Christmas Special
The Christmas special in 2005 featured the top four couples (Gough/Kopylova, Jackson/Boag, Ball/Waite, Martin/Dallerup) from the 2005 series competing against two competitors from the US version,
Dancing with the Stars
, who danced with two professionals from the British series. The two competitors from the US series were
Rachel Hunter, who was teamed with Brendan Cole, and
Evander Holyfield, who danced with Karen Hardy. Season 2 winner Jill Halfpenny was scheduled to appear with her partner Darren Bennett, but pulled out due to a break down in fee negotiations.
24 December 2005, in order of elimination
Celebrity
| Professional
| Place
| Judges' scores
| Dance
|
Evander Holyfield
| Karen Hardy
| 6th
| 3+5+7+7=22
| Jive
|
Rachel Hunter
| Brendan Cole
| 5th
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Rumba
|
Colin Jackson
| Erin Boag
| 4th
| 9+8+9+9=35
| Cha-Cha-Cha
|
James Martin
| Camilla Dallerup
| 3rd
| 8+10+10+9=37
| Foxtrot
|
Zoe Ball
| Ian Waite
| 2nd
| 9+9+10+10=38
| Foxtrot
|
Darren Gough
| Lilia Kopylova
| 1st
| 10+10+10+10=40
| Quickstep
|
As well as winning the 2005 series,
Darren Gough and
Lilia Kopylova won this Christmas Special, after receiving the full 40 marks from the judges.
2006 Christmas Special
The Christmas special in 2006 featured stars from the third and fourth series going head to head to perform their highest-scoring dances. The theme of the programme was black and white, so whether it was wintry white gowns, the little black dress or top hat and tails, the dancers and the dance floor were decked in black and white, setting the stage for some show-stopping performances.
It was a pre-recorded show shown on
Christmas Day on BBC One. The couples who took part were:
Celebrity
| Professional
| Place
| Judges' Scores
| Dance
|
Matt Dawson
| Lilia Kopylova
| -
| 9+9+10+9=37
| Waltz
|
Louisa Lytton
| Vincent Simone
| -
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Jive
|
Mark Ramprakash
| Karen Hardy
| -
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Salsa
|
Emma Bunton
| Darren Bennett
| -
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Samba
|
Zoe Ball
| Ian Waite
| 2nd
| 9+10+9+10=38
| Rumba
|
Colin Jackson
| Erin Boag
| 1st
| 10+10+10+10=40
| Quickstep
|
After the combined scores of the judges' marks and the votes of the studio audience, Colin Jackson and Erin Boag won the competition, after getting the full 40 marks from the judges, with
Zoe Ball and
Ian Waite being runners up. The final places of the bottom four couples was not announced - they were eliminated from the competition in a random order.
2007 Christmas Special
The 2007 Christmas Special featured the top four couples from Series Five (
Alesha Dixon,
Matt Di Angelo,
Gethin Jones and
Letitia Dean), as well as
Darren Gough and
Mark Ramprakash (champions of Series Three and Four respectively). The winner was Series Three champion
Darren Gough, who received a perfect 40 for his
American Smooth, and had the highest score overall when the judges' points were combined with the studio audience vote. Series Five semi-finalist
Gethin Jones, who also received a perfect 40 for his Waltz, was runner up. The final place of the bottom four couples was not announced.
It was broadcast on
BBC One on
Christmas Day (25 December 2007).
Celebrity
| Professional
| Place
| Judges' score
| Dance
|
Alesha Dixon
| Matthew Cutler
| -
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Cha-cha-cha
|
Letitia Dean
| Darren Bennett
| -
| 9+9+9+9=36
| Foxtrot
|
Mark Ramprakash
| Karen Hardy
| -
| 9+9+10+10=38
| Jive
|
Matt Di Angelo
| Flavia Cacace
| -
| 9+10+10+10=39
| Rumba
|
Gethin Jones
| Camilla Dallerup
| 2nd
| 10+10+10+10=40
| Waltz
|
Darren Gough
| Lilia Kopylova
| 1st
| 10+10+10+10=40
| American Smooth
|
2008 Christmas Special
The 2008 Christmas Special aired on 25 December 2008.
Tom Chambers,
Rachel Stevens and
Lisa Snowdon took on former contestants
Jill Halfpenny,
Alesha Dixon and
Kelly Brook.
Brian Fortuna partnered Brook due to her original partner
Brendan Cole dancing with his more recent partner Lisa Snowdon.
Russell Watson made a special guest appearance.
[28] The celebrities, their professional partners and dance were announced on 17 December 2008.
[29] Due to 4 couples coming top of the leader's board with 39 points, head judge Len was given casting vote on how to break the tie. Therefore points from the judge were awarded as follows before the audience vote: Alesha 6, Jill 5, Rachel 4, Kelly 3, Tom 2, Lisa 1. Jill Halfpenny was named the 2008 Christmas Champion with Kelly Brook in second place, meaning that Jill joined Darren Gough in having won two Christmas specials, and her partner Darren Bennett equalled his professional partner and wife Lilia Kopylova's two Christmas special victories.
Celebrity
| Professional
| Place
| Judges' score
| Dance
|
Lisa Snowdon
| Brendan Cole
| —
| 8+9+9+10=36
| Quickstep
|
Tom Chambers
| Camilla Dallerup
| —
| 9+10+9+9=37
| Foxtrot
|
Rachel Stevens
| Vincent Simone
| —
| 9+10+10+10=39
| Rumba
|
Alesha Dixon
| Matthew Cutler
| —
| 9+10+10+10=39
| Viennese Waltz
|
Kelly Brook
| Brian Fortuna
| 2nd
| 10+9+10+10=39
| Jive
|
Jill Halfpenny
| Darren Bennett
| 1st
| 9+10+10+10=39
| American Smooth
|
The Strictly Come Dancing Story
The Strictly Come Dancing Story
was shown on 28 December 2007. While looking back at the last five series of
Strictly Come Dancing
, it also explained how it came about, showed clips of the original
Come Dancing
show, highlights from the series one to five, and how the show has transferred to other countries around the world.
Strictly Ice Dancing
Strictly Ice Dancing
was broadcast as a one-off special on 26 December 2004; with
Carol Smillie,
Jessica Taylor,
Scarlett Johnson,
Marcus Patric,
David Seaman, and
Rowland Rivron paired with professional
skaters. This was won by
David Seaman (who was a late replacement for
Paul Gascoigne) and his partner Zoia Birmingham.
In order of elimination, the competitors were:
Celebrity
| Professional
| Score
|
Rowland Rivron
| Charlotte Clements
| 10
|
Marcus Patric
| Leigh Mack
| 12
|
Carol Smillie
| Oula Jääskeläinen
| 21
|
Scarlett Johnson
| Daniel Whiston
| 22
|
Jessica Taylor
| Robert Burgerman
| 34
|
David Seaman
| Zoia Birmingham
| 33
|
Strictly Ice Dancing
was identical to the Granada format
Dancing On Ice
, although details of
Dancing on Ice
were revealed before
Strictly Ice Dancing
was commissioned.
Strictly African Dancing
A further one-off special was broadcast on BBC One on 9 July 2005 as part of the BBC's
Africa Lives
season. It featured six celebrities of African descent performing traditional African dances with a professional troupe. The contestants were
Tunde Baiyewu,
Tupele Dorgu,
Robbie Earle,
Antonia Okonma,
Louis Emerick, and
Tessa Sanderson. The programme was presented by Natasha Kaplinsky and Martin Offiah, and the winner was Robbie Earle. Professional dancers
Darren Bennett and
Lilia Kopylova, who have appeared on Strictly Come Dancing since the second series, also appeared on this special to perform a traditional African Samba. Ironically, the winner was of Jamaican, not African, descent.
In order of elimination:
- Tunde Baiyewu
- Louis Emerick
- Tupele Dorgu
- Tessa Sanderson
- Antonia Okonma
- Robbie Earle
The Live Tour! 2008
Strictly Come Dancing
went on tour at the beginning of 2008 for the first time.
[30] The tour was hosted by
Kate Thornton, and judged by
Craig Revel Horwood,
Arlene Phillips, &
Len Goodman.
[31] Bruno Tonioli was not a judge in this competition
due to him being in Los Angeles.
[32] The tour began on 18 January 2008 in
Glasgow and finished on 19 February 2008 in
Birmingham.
[33]
Celebrity dancers taking part were:
[34]
- Christopher Parker (dancing with Nicole Cutler)
- Denise Lewis (dancing with Matthew Cutler)
- Darren Gough (dancing with Lilia Kopylova) [35]
- James Martin (dancing with Camilla Dallerup)
- Letitia Dean (dancing with Darren Bennett)
- Louisa Lytton (dancing with Vincent Simone)
- Matt Di Angelo (dancing with Flavia Cacace) [36]
- Zoe Ball (dancing with Ian Waite)
The results of the tour are as follows:
[37]
Couple
| Series
| Number of times as winners
| Number of times as runners up
|
Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
| 5
| 16
| 10
|
Louisa Lytton and Vincent Simone
| 4
| 10
| 3
|
Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova
| 3
| 8
| 10
|
Zoe Ball and Ian Waite
| 3
| 5
| 14
|
Letitia Dean and Darren Bennett
| 5
| 1
| 2
|
Denise Lewis,
Christopher Parker,
James Martin were not winners or runners up at any stage of the tour .
The Live Tour! 2009
The Strictly Come Dancing Tour returned in January and February 2009.
[38] Kate Thornton returned to host, and all four judges from the TV series took part.
The couples and results of the tour were as follows:
[39]
Couple
| Series
| Number of times as winners
| Number of times as runners up
|
Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simone
| 6
| 26
| 14
|
Gethin Jones and Flavia Cacace
| 5
| 6
| 6
|
Kenny Logan and Ola Jordan
| 5
| 6
| 0
|
Julian Clary and Lilia Kopylova
| 2
| 3
| 13
|
Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett
| 2
| 3
| 9
|
Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup
| 6
| 1
| 2
|
Cherie Lunghi and James Jordan
| 6
| 0
| 1
|
Jodie Kidd and Ian Waite
| 6
| 0
| 0
|
Gethin Jones and
Julian Clary were paired with new professional partners - Jones' partner
Camilla Dallerup danced with her series six celebrity
Tom Chambers, whilst Clary's partner (
Erin Boag) did not take part in the tour, as she and her professional partner
Anton Du Beke were on their own 'Cheek To Cheek' tour of the UK.
Strictly Come Dancing
professionals
Matthew Cutler and
Kristina Rihanoff also performed a routine together.
The DVD will be released on the 9th November 2009.
Sport Relief Does Strictly Come Dancing
A
Strictly Come Dancing
one-off special for
Sport Relief aired on 14 March 2008, with
Len Goodman,
Arlene Phillips and
Craig Revel Horwood judging.
[40]
The results were as follows:
Ex-Strictly Contestant
| Celebrity
| Place
| Judges' scores
| Dance
|
Denise Lewis
| David Ginola
| -
| 7+7+7=21
| Waltz
|
Roger Black
| Jade Johnson
| -
| 8+6+8=22
| Cha Cha Cha
|
Darren Gough
| Gemma Bissix
| -
| 7+7+8=22
| American Smooth
|
Matt Dawson
| Elaine Paige
| 2nd
| 8+9+8=25
| Tango
|
Mark Ramprakash
| Kara Tointon
| 1st
| 9+9+9=27
| Samba
|
The ranking of the bottom three couples was not announced - they were eliminated from the competition in a random order.
A BBC spokesperson commented: "Sport Relief features Strictly Come Dancing with a difference."
Children In Need Special 2008
A
Strictly Come Dancing
one-off special for
Children In Need aired on 14 November 2008, with
Fearne Cotton presenting and
Len Goodman,
Bruno Tonioli,
Arlene Phillips and
Craig Revel Horwood judging.
The results were as follows:
Professional Dancer
| Children In Need Host
| Place
| Judges' scores [41]
| Dance
|
Anton Du Beke
| Tess Daly
| 1st
| 9+9+9+9=36
| American Smooth
|
Flavia Cacace
| Terry Wogan
| 2nd
| 7+8+7+7=29
| Waltz
|
The Weakest Link Special 2008
On 27 December 2008, a special episode of
The Weakest Link aired on
BBC1 featuring participants of
Strictly Come Dancing.
The game was won by series 6 celebrity Mark Foster, who beat professional dancer Anton Du Beke in the final. Participants in order of elimination were:
- Craig Revel Horwood
- Arlene Phillips
- Kristina Rihanoff
- Camilla Dallerup
- Mark Ramprakash
- Brendan Cole
- Heather Small
- Anton du Beke
- Mark Foster
Statistics
Judges' scores
On eight occasions a perfect 40 out of 40 has been awarded inside the main series, with series six being the only series to have more than one perfect forty within, including
Lisa Snowdon and
Brendan Cole who hold the record for most perfect scores with three in the series. All others only received one, usually in the semi-final or final. On another four occasions, a couple scored 40/40 on a Christmas Special. On further fourteen occasions during the main series, couples have received 39. On five occasions in the Christmas Specials were couples awarded 39/40.
The lowest that the judges have ever awarded was 8/40 to
Quentin Wilson and
Hazel Newberry for their Cha Cha Cha. Other low scores include 11's and 12's.
In addition to the twelve perfect scores listed above, judges have awarded perfect tens on a number of other occasions.
Rachel Stevens and her partner
Vincent Simone hold a record for the most with 28 followed by
Alesha Dixon and
Matthew Cutler with 22 and Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole with 21.
At 6'2" Natasha Kaplinsky is the shortest ever winner of the show.
Ratings
Series
| Series Première
| Series Finale
|
Date
| Viewers
| Date
| Viewers
|
1
| 15 May 2004
| 4.61m [42]
| 3 July 2004
| 9.28m [43]
|
2
| 23 October 2004
| 6.54m [44]
| 11 December 2004
| 11.60m [45]
|
3
| 15 October 2005
| 7.23m [46]
| 17 December 2005
| 10.55m [47]
|
4
| 7 October 2006
| 9.23m [48]
| 23 December 2006
| 12.11m [49]
|
5
| 6 October 2007
| 7.68m [50]
| 22 December 2007
| 12.09m [51]
|
6
| 20 September 2008
| 8.48m [52]
| 20 December 2008
| 12.21m [53]
|
Awards
The show has won a highly prestigious
Rose D'Or award for 'Best Variety Show', beating off competition from reality shows from twelve other different countries. It has also won two awards for 'Best Reality Show' at the
TRIC Awards and two at the
TV Quick Awards for 'Best Talent Show', beating
The X Factor
in both instances. It has also received three
BAFTA nominations.
The show won the award of Most Popular Talent Show at the 2008
National Television Awards, beating
Britain's Got Talent
,
Dancing on Ice
and
The X Factor
.
See also
- Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
- its companion show on BBC Two.
- Strictly Dance Fever
- Dancing on Ice
- a similar show on ITV, swapping dancing with skating.
- Just the Two of Us
- the same format, with singing instead of dancing.
- Dancing with the Stars
- versions of the show produced in other countries.
References
- Strictly Come Dancing - How to vote
- David Dickinson - Strictly Come Dancing
- Fliming locations for "Strictly Come Dancing" (2004)
- Strictly a sellout for return of TV classic
- Strictly Come Dancing wins ratings war
- Strictly not dancing
- Strictly star wants show back in Blackpool
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1194301/Platells-People-Little-Miss-Cleavage-Beebs-bias.ht
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5844671/Strictly-Come-Dancings-Arlene-Phill
- Strictly Come Dancing Vote BBC. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
- [1] Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- Press Office - BBC One 19 September 2009?
- Dazzler on the Dance Floor
- Strictly Come Dancing facts and figures
- Tarbuck Bows Out
- Children in Need proceeds
- Brook pulls out of dancing show
- 'Strictly' dancers end pay row
- Brian Fortuna's Page
- Strictly No Dancing
- Programme Information Network TV Week 38 Saturday 13 September 2008
- Sergeant to pull out of Strictly
- Strictly Come Dancing - News - Report: Daly signs new 'Strictly' deal
- Entertainment
- Strictly dancers furious at appointment of 'gimmick' judge Alesha Dixon
- Strictly Backlash
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8220020.stm?lsf | title=Strictly reveals dancing line-up |
- Network TV Programme Information BBC One Weeks 52/53
- Strictly Christmas Special
- BBC Dancing show to hit the road
- Judges & Host
- Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour!
- Tour 2008
- Celebrity Dancers
- Strictly Come Dancing: 'It is a fairy tale come true'
- Strictly Come Dancing hits the road
- Previous Winners
- Live Tour 2009
- UK Tour 2009
- Strictly Sport Relief
- Children In Need defies the crunch with £21m haul as BBC newswomen don bellbottoms and platforms for Abba tribute
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 16/05/04
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 04/07/04
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 24/10/04
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 12/12/04
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 16/10/05
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 18/12/05
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 8/10/06
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 24/12/06
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 07/10/07
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 23/12/07
- BARB Weekly Viewing Summary - W/E 21/09/2008
- 'Strictly' final peaks with 13.3m