Get your paddles out, as Strictly will soon be returning to our TV screens.
The BBC has been gradually revealing the celebrities taking part in this year’s competition in the run-up to the autumn debut. However, the show has made headlines for other reasons, with several former contestants coming forward to report negative experiences with partners and producers alike.
Since then, two professional dancers have been let go, and an investigation remains ongoing. If you’d like to know what’s in store for Strictly 2024, we have everything you need to know.
When is Strictly coming back?
The BBC has not yet confirmed the exact date of when Strictly will be returning. However, we can estimate when the launch show will air based on previous years.
Over the past three years, the pre-recorded launch shows aired on the 16, 23 and 18 of September respectively, with the live competition kicking off the week after.
That shows a pattern of the show airing on the second or third week of September on a Saturday. Therefore, we estimate that Strictly 2024 will begin airing on either Saturday 13 September or Saturday 20 September 2024.
Who are the Strictly contestants?
Not all the celebrities have been announced yet, but here is who is confirmed so far:
- Comedian Chris McCausland
- Singer and presenter JB Gill
- Broadcaster and opera singer Wynne Evans
- Singer and actress Toyah Willcox
- Media medic Dr Punam Krishan
- Model and TV personality Tasha Ghouri
- TV personality Pete Wicks
The pairings will not be revealed until the launch show.
Who are the Strictly professionals?
Here are the professional dancers for Strictly 2024:
- Aljaž Škorjanec
- Amy Dowden
- Carlos Gu
- Dianne Buswell
- Gorka Marquez
- Johannes Radebe
- Jowita Przystal
- Kai Widdrington
- Karen Hauer
- Katya Jones
- Lauren Oakley
- Luba Mushtuk
- Michelle Tsiakkas
- Nadiya Bychkova
- Nancy Xu
- Neil Jones
- Nikita Kuzmin
- Vito Coppola
Aljaž is back on the show after a two-year break – he is the husband of Janette Manrara, and won the competition in 2013 with Abbey Clancey.
Two dancers missing from the line-up are Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. Both former professionals have left the show following allegations of abusive behavior and bullying from former partners.
The BBC has an ongoing investigation looking back at training footage.
Who are the Strictly 2024 presenters and judges?
Once again, Tess Daley and Claudia Winkelman are returning to host the main show. Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke are all back on the judging panel.
It’s not yet been confirmed if Janette Manrara and Fleur East will return to host the It Takes Two spin-off show, which interviews pairings and goes behind the scenes into the production, costumes and training for the competition.
The same goes for the official Strictly podcast, which has previously been presented by Joe Sugg and Kim Winston, who give more insights and gossip into the competition for audio listeners.
Who won Strictly Come Dancing 2023?
EastEnders’ Bobby Brazier and Bad Education actor Layton Williams put up a good fight for the glitterball trophy. But in the end, Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach won the title with her partner Vito Coppola.
They scored a maximum 40 points for their American Smooth routine. However, they had a major error with the final lift in their showdance. Nonetheless, it did not stop the 22-year-old from claiming victory in the youngest-ever final of the show.
How to watch outside of the UK
As always, Strictly will be shown on BBC One. You can watch on your TV as the episode airs, or on BBC iPlayer on most internet-connected devices, whether that’s a laptop, tablet or phone, or perhaps a media streamer or games console.
You’ll also be able to watch it on BBC iPlayer if you missed the episode and want to catch up. If you’re outside of the UK, there are ways to watch BBC iPlayer abroad such as using a VPN (virtual private network) like NordVPN. Find out more about how to do that here.
