Strictly Come Dancing champion to make surprise return with dance partner for launch show
The pair will be dancing once more time for audiences.
Reigning champs Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will take to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom one more time in this weekend's dazzling launch show.
The pair will reprise their BAFTA TV Award-winning waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone this Saturday at 6:40pm on BBC One and iPlater.
Chris and Dianne were crowned the winners of Strictly Come Dancing last year. The comedian was lost for words upon hearing the news, admitting: "I honestly thought I could go out on the first week, and I know no one goes out on the first week, but I honestly thought I could.
"But we just lasted and lasted."
It was their waltz that truly cemented the pair has frontrunners to win the competition, with it also winning the Memorable Moment Award at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards.
"This meant a lot to Chris, it was Liverpool's anthem, and I knew that he loved the ballroom style of dancing, so I knew I had to choreograph something very special," Dianne said when picking up the award.
The highly-anticipated launch episode will also reveal who this year's celebrities will be paired with, as they come face-to-face with their professional dance partner.
And that isn't all. The launch episode will also feature group dances from the spectacular professional dancers, the 15 famous faces and even the judges!
There will also be an exclusive performance from Jessie J and plenty more Strictly surprises that audiences all know and love.
This year, the famous faces taking part hail from all sides of the entertainment industry, with the likes of Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey all among the names who will be lacing up their dancing shoes for an unforgettable Strictly season.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 20th September at 6:40pm.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
