September 21st 2024.
The highly anticipated return of Strictly Come Dancing is finally here! The beloved show, now in its 20th season, will be gracing our screens once again tonight with a brand new batch of celebrities ready to take on the dance floor. Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be joined by judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke as they welcome 15 new celebrity contestants.
This season, we can expect to see the likes of comedian Chris McCausland, JLS singer JB Gill, DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, and Love Island's Tasha Ghouri vying for the coveted glitterball trophy. These talented individuals will be following in the footsteps of last year's winners Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, and we can't wait to see who will be crowned the champions this time.
However, it hasn't been an easy start for Strictly this year. The show has been rocked by scandal following allegations against professional dancers and concerns over the treatment of contestants. Last year's contestant Amanda Abbington, who quit the show after just five weeks, spoke out about her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice's behavior, calling it "unnecessary, abusive, cruel, and mean." Pernice has denied these claims. In addition, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was accused of "kicking and hitting" Love Island star Zara and later apologized for his actions.
But despite these challenges, the show must go on! The BBC has taken steps to ensure a safer and more supportive environment, announcing three major changes to their welfare policies. This includes having a team member present during training rehearsals at all times, appointing a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer, and providing further training for the production team and crew.
As we eagerly await the first live show tonight, we can't help but wonder who will follow in the footsteps of previous champions Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola. The stakes are higher than ever, and we can't wait to see the contestants take to the dance floor.
In addition to the new celebrities, the show will also see the return of fan-favorite professional dancers Amy Dowden and Aljaž Škorjanec. Dowden, who had to sit out last year's season due to cancer treatment, is back and ready to show off her dancing skills once again. Škorjanec, who announced his exit in 2022, has also decided to return to the competition, much to the delight of fans.
However, it seems that the show's ratings have taken a hit. Last week's pre-recorded launch show garnered 5.7 million viewers, down a million from last year and more than three million from the ratings boom in 2020. Despite this, we have no doubt that Strictly will continue to captivate audiences with its dazzling performances and entertaining personalities.
So, let's get ready to cha-cha-cha into another season of Strictly Come Dancing! Don't forget to tune in tonight at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer to see the first live show. And if you have any celebrity stories, videos, or pictures, be sure to get in touch with the entertainment team – we'd love to hear from you!
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