Strictly Come Dancing series 22

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its twenty-second series with a launch show on 14 September 2024 on BBC One, with the live shows beginning on 21 September.^[1][2] A special episode to commemorate the programme's twentieth anniversary has also been confirmed.^[3] Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are confirmed to return as hosts, whilst Janette Manrara and Fleur East will return to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.^[4] Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke will return to the judging panel.^[5]

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.

The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Shirley Ballas, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote if needed.

Judges for Strictly Come Dancing Series 22

Craig Revel Horwood

Motsi Mabuse

Shirley Ballas

Anton Du Beke

In June 2024, the BBC announced that Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Vito Coppola, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Márquez, Luba Mushtuk, Lauren Oakley, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Michelle Tsiakkas, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu would be returning to the series.^[6] It was confirmed that Giovanni Pernice would not be returning to the show, following misconduct allegations regarding his dance teaching methods.^[7][8][9] Pernice however denied "any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour".^[10][7]

In July 2024, it was announced that Aljaž Škorjanec would be returning as a professional after a two-year hiatus, following his departure in March 2022, having last appeared in the nineteenth series.^[11][12] Later that same month, despite initially being confirmed to return for the series, it was subsequently announced that Graziano Di Prima would not be returning to the show, following allegations of misconduct against him towards Zara McDermott, his partner from the previous series.^[13] In a statement, Di Prima said that he "deeply regretted his actions that led to his departure from [the show]".^[14][15]

During the launch show, Michelle Tsiakkas received a celebrity partner for the first time, while Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, and Kai Widdrington did not receive a partner. The rest of the pros were paired to a celebrity, including Neil Jones, who did not have a celebrity partner for the last two series.^[16][17]

On 1 August 2024, prior to the official BBC announcements, Tom Dean confirmed himself as the first participant in the series, during an interview at the 2024 Summer Olympics after competing in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay.^[18] The official announcements began on 5 August, with Chris McCausland and JB Gill announced respectively, the former of which became the first blind contestant to appear on the show.^[19] Celebrity contestants continued to be revealed until 12 August 2024, when the full line-up was announced.^[20][21]

The highest score each week is indicated in bold green with a dagger (†), while the lowest score each week is indicated in italicized red with a double-dagger (‡).

Color key:

Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke.

• Musical guests: Clean Bandit & Anne-Marie — "Cry Baby"^[22]

There was no elimination this week; all scores carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

• Week 1: One unlearned dance

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.^[24]

• Strictly Come Dancing at BBC Online