Strictly Come Dancing

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2025
Season 23
25 episodes

Entertainment

Summary

Dazzling routines, outrageous sets, flamboyant costumes and the occasional dance dis-aaa-ster.

Episode 2: Week 1 2025

Summary

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present the first live edition as the ballroom dance show returns. The celebrities and their partners perform their opening routines, safe in the knowledge that no one is being voted off this week, although judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will offer their comments - good or bad. The audience are bound to be cheering on actress and Love Island star Amber Davies, who has been drafted in at the last minute to replace the injured Dani Dyer, while the rest of the celebrities are Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal, Stefan Dennis, Lewis Cope, Vicky Pattison, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Karen Carney, Chris Robshaw, Ellie Goldstein, Ross King, La Voix, Thomas Skinner and George Clarke

Review

Frances Taylor

The last time a contestant withdrew from Strictly early doors and an Emmerdale actor was drafted in as a replacement, they subsequently went on to win the series. The year was 2019, the injured celebrity was Jamie Laing, and his substitute was eventual glitterball-lifter Kelvin Fletcher. Will this year deliver a repeat performance?

In last week’s launch show we got our first tentative glimpse at how much (or little) each of this year’s cohort can dance. Could Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope (who stepped in when Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn pulled out of the series on medical grounds) be an early favourite? “I think everyone’s aware Lewis can move,” his professional partner Katya Jones told RT.

Tonight the 15 celebrities get their first scores from judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke, although no one will be going home. The first elimination is next week.

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There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

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BBC iPlayer

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rolenamePresenterTess DalyPresenterClaudia WinklemanJudgeShirley BallasJudgeCraig Revel HorwoodJudgeAnton Du BekeJudgeMotsi MabuseContestantAlex KingstonContestantAmber DaviesContestantBalvinder SopalContestantChris RobshawContestantEllie GoldsteinContestantGeorge ClarkeContestantHarry Aikines-AryeeteyContestantJimmy Floyd HasselbainkContestantKaren CarneyContestantLa VoixContestantLewis CopeContestantRoss KingContestantStefan DennisContestantThomas SkinnerContestantVicky PattisonExecutive producerSarah JamesDirectorNikki ParsonsSeries editorNicola Fitzgerald