And that’s a wrap on Movie Week! We’ve had big entrances, fantastic costumes, plenty of drama and, of course, some serious moves on the dance floor.
In a Strictly Come Dancing shake-up, Movie Week was moved forward in the show’s run to allow all 15 contestants the chance to dance to their favourite flicks.
All eyes were on Katya Jones and John Nellis after the content creator emerged as the one to beat following last week’s stunning foxstep. The judges weren’t so taken, however, with the duo’s Couple’s Choice routine performed to the Gaelic folk tune in The Titanic, awarding it 23 points, eight lower than last week’s 31.
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington stormed to the top spot after finishing second last week, with Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley following in second with their Godfather-inspired routine, and Nellis and Jones rounding out the top three.
Meanwhile, an emotional Melanie Walters paid tribute to her late mother with a waltz to her favourite song, “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music. While the performance was praised for its elegance, it wasn’t enough to lift the actor from the bottom of the leaderboard, where she sits beneath Chris Appleton and Will Best.
The first elimination of the series will take place tomorrow night, with the bottom two couples – decided by the public vote combined with the two judges scores – going head-to-head in a dance off.
Stay tuned for all things Strictly right here…
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Meet John Nellis: the YouTuber who’s now the favourite to win Strictly
Strictly Come Dancing viewing figures revealed by BBC for first live show with new hosts
Strictly star Wynne Evans calls out pro dancer Katya Jones for not supporting him publicly
Key Points
- Updated leaderboard, in full
- Melanie Walters performs emotional tribute to mother
- A reminder of all the Strictly 2026 stars – and their professional partners
- Josh Widdicombe: a problem Strictly needs to solve?
FYI: the first Strictly results show will air on Sunday night at 7.10pm on BBC One, during which the bottom two couples will compete in a dance off with Craig Revel Horwood being given the casting vote on who stays... and who goes.
21:04 , Annabel Nugent We have a new couple at the top of the leaderboard after tonight! Delta and Kai take the crown, followed by Lacy and Vito in second, with John and Katya rounding out the top three.
At the other end of the table, Melanie’s elegant “Edelweiss” Waltz sadly couldn’t pull her out of the danger zone. The Gavin & Stacey star sits at the bottom, beneath Chris and Amy and Will and Dianne. It’s going to be a nervous wait from here...
See the full and updated leaderboard below...
20:59 , Annabel Nugent Tick tock! You’ve got T-minus 15 minute until voting closes...
20:59 , Annabel NugentWhat happens next?
Last Saturday’s judges scores will be carried over, and then combined with tonight’s totals and the public vote. The bottom two will then go head-to-head in the first dance-off of the series tomorrow night, with the loser sent packing. Craig Revel Horwood has been given the casting vote.
Also tomorrow night is a special performance from Tim Minchin and the cast of Matilda – plus the pros take on The Devil Wears Prada.
20:49 , Annabel NugentAnd for the first time this series... the vote is now officially open! You can vote for who you want to save by scanning the QR code on the TV screen or visiting bbc.co.uk/strictly.
20:46 , Annabel NugentAnd the last scores of the evening are in, with Shaun and Alexis earning 4 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 25 – a whopping 10 points more than last week.
20:44 , Annabel NugentAnd the last dance of the night goes to Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr who are dnacing the Salsa to “You Should Be Dancing” from Saturday Night Fever. It’s enough to get both Shirley and Motsi on their feet, and prompt some effusive praise from Anton.
Shirley even went so far as to get up and give Shaun a hug on the vast improvements he made from last week when he earned threes and fours.
Less complimentary (of course) was Craig Revel Horwood who very much did not enjoy the pair’s Salsa...
20:38 , Annabel Nugent Yee-haw! Eastenders star Lacey Turner and professional partner Vito Coppola slipped right into character as Jessie and Woody for their first ballroom number, dancing a Quickstep to Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” from Toy Story 5.
According to Anton, the pair have gone one better than their cheeky Cha Cha last week, which landed them third on the leaderboard.
The scores are in: 6 + 7 + 7 + 8 = 28 – that’s one more than last week!
20:29 , Annabel Nugent The scores are in for Nancy and Bethany: 7 + 7 + 6 + 7 = 27
20:27 , Annabel Nugent“More frockography!” says Anton. Hard agree!
20:25 , Annabel NugentIt seems the Wicked fever is still burning hot, with Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu taking on the Paso Doble to “No Good Deed” from the hit musical.
The crowd is on their feet for Nancy is pretty in pink as the Good Witch Glinda and Bethany, gorgeous in green as Elphaba.
20:21 , Annabel Nugent The judges are full of praise for Tabby and Mark’s American Smooth, awarding their American Smooth a clean sweep of sevens for a total of 28.
20:19 , Annabel NugentWhat an entrance from Tabby Stoecker, who descends onto the dancefloor perched on a hoop and looking every inch a vision in purple, as she kicks off her American Smooth to “Rewrite The Stars” from The Greatest Showman.
20:14 , Annabel Nugent A huge nine-point leap for Cach and Maddie! Their Samba earns 7 + 7 + 7 + 8 from the judges, taking them to an impressive 29.
20:10 , Annabel NugentThe judges are full of praise for Cach’s performance this week, with Anton admitting the duo have managed to convince him to rethink his dislike of the Samba, while Motsi calling it an “extraordinary” performance. Even Craig had kind words for the pair, telling them their take on the dance could be “replicated and taught”.
20:08 , Annabel NugentIt wouldn’t be a Movie Week without a Grease-inspired routine. This year’s comes courtesy of Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, with a saucy and energetic Samba to “We Go Together”.
Last week, Cach got a talking to from the judges for improvising too much so I’m sure he’ll be on his best behaviour tonight – but will it be enough? From the sound of that applause, it will!
20:05 , Annabel Nugent That’s a total of 15 for Melanie, with the judges handing out scores of 3 + 4 + 4 + 4.
20:04 , Annabel NugentIt was a particularly special performance for Melanie who said “Edelweiss” was her late mother’s favourite song.
20:01 , Annabel Nugent “It’s just that hesitance, but otherwise, elegance personified,” says Anton, while Craig adds, “It all went wrong but you have potential and that’s what I see in you.” Some lovely words from Motsi, “The reaction of the audience... people felt touched and moved by your dance and that counts for something in this show.”
19:59 , Annabel NugentMelanie Walters will be looking to impress tonight after the Gavin & Stacey star found herself at the bottom of the leaderboard last week with a lacklustre Cha Cha to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.
Melanie is hoping her Waltz to “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music will do the trick.
19:56 , Annabel Nugent Melanie Walters will be looking to impress tonight after the Gavin & Stacey star found herself at the bottom of the leaderboard last week with a lacklustre Cha Cha to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.
Melanie is hoping her Waltz to “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music will do the trick.
19:53 , Annabel NugentThe scores are in for Jaime and Carlos...
5 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 21
19:50 , Annabel NugentDancing the Cha Cha to Pretty Woman this week is Jaime Winstone alongside pro Carlos Gu.
She certainly looks the part in a purple polka dot dress and Eighties hair-do – though the routine itself was lacking slightly in flow.
19:44 , Annabel Nugent Will Best jumps up and down in joy with a score of 19 given that it’s one more more than last week. Way to look on the bright side!
4 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 19
19:42 , Annabel NugentThe first Shirley shoe of 2027!
19:40 , Annabel Nugent “Did I love it? No not really. Is it going to get a high score? Probably not. But I do love you and I love what you’re bringing to the dance floor.”
Well, Craig has never been one to hold back.
19:37 , Annabel NugentNow we’ve got a Foxtrot from the movie Risky Business courtesy of Will Best and Dianne Buswell.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Risky Business routine without a man in his pants sliding across the floor.
19:33 , Annabel Nugent The judges were effusive about Grame and Lauren’s performance, and it shows in their scores... 8 + 8 + 8 + 7 = 31.
It’s the best score of the night and the one to beat, though it could be done – we’ve still got plenty more dances on the way.
19:32 , Annabel NugentGraeme Hall had a fantastic showing last week, even managing to make Craig smile with his Cha Cha – and now the canine expert has done it again, earning a big smile from the toughest judge on the panel with his lovely Vienesse Waltz to “The Love Theme” from The Godfather with Lauren Oakley.
19:27 , Annabel Nugent For once the judges are all in agreement, awarding Sarah and Julian sixes all around. The pair have got to be pleased with that, given it’s nine more than last week!
6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
19:24 , Annabel NugentFor once the judges are all in agreement, awarding Sarah and Julian sixes all around. The pair have got to be pleased with that, given it’s nine more than last week!
6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
19:18 , Annabel NugentNext up are Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Callion dancing the Charleston to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins...
19:15 , Annabel Nugent And the scores are in for Lawrence and Jowita... 4 +5 + 4 +6 = 19
19:14 , Annabel NugentI’m so distracted by Nikita lurking in the background here, looking frankly terrifying!
19:13 , Annabel Nugent To be honest, I’ve got to agree with this... I do have to wonder whether Lawrence and Jowita are at a disadvantage having to dance to a much less iconic film.
19:10 , Annabel Nugentimagine the other couples getting to do routines from titanic, beauty and the beast, grease and other iconic films, meanwhile you get stuck dressed as the rat from ratatouille. i'd be livid. #Strictly
— e (@sunrisereapiing) October 3, 2026
Compliments to the chef?
19:08 , Annabel Nugent Next up are Lawrence and Jowita dancing the Vienesse Waltz to the movie Rataouille... a bit of a bizarre choice, I’d say, but I’m happy to be persuaded otherwise!
19:06 , Annabel NugentUh-Oh... Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden could very well find themselves in trouble with a relatively low score of 17 this week.
4 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 17
It seems that Chris Appleton’s wardrobe choice worked in his favour – that mid-routine ab reveal did well to distract Craig from his not-so-perfect footwork.
18:59 , Annabel Nugent Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden looking fierce in red as they took on the Cha Cha to Baywatch...
18:56 , Annabel Nugent It’s a great showing for Delta and Kai... 8 + 7 + 7 + 8 = 30
18:53 , Annabel NugentI definitely agree with Motsi and Shirley that Delta and Kai are superb at evoking emotion with their routines.
18:51 , Annabel NugentOMG! That was absolutely stunning. Delta & Kai nailed that American Smooth. For me it felt fluid and told a story. She’s a strong dancer and all round performer. #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing pic.twitter.com/eHrWJVQlBa
— Jade (@A_ANGELS05) October 3, 2026
Delta looking like the epitome of elegance here – absolutely gliding across the dancefloor.
18:49 , Annabel Nugent As someone who grew up in Australia with “Innocent Eyes” on repeat, I find myself rooting for pop star Delta Goodrem this season.
Tonight, she’s dancing the American Smooth to “I’ll Never Love Again” from A Star is Born.
18:46 , Annabel NugentRight it’s on to the scores... 4 + 5 + 7 + 7 = 23
It’s not quite the 31 reached by their performance last week, but it’s nothing to be sad about for John and Katya. That said, that 4 from Craig is quite harsh!
18:43 , Annabel Nugent“Heavy-footed” from Craig… two words no Strictly contestant ever wants to hear! The pair got a “brilliant” from Anton, so not all is lost!
18:41 , Annabel NugentThis is just one of those routines you can’t help but smile while watching. He looks overjoyed to be there, and those spins! I’m dizzy just watching it.
No standing ovation from the judges tonight, though... I wonder how that performance will compare to last week’s triumph.
18:38 , Annabel Nugent All eyes will be on John Nellis tonight after the content creator emerged as one to beat after his stunning foxtrot with Katya Jones had judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas on their feet. Curiously, he’s one of the five dancers who hadn’t had their routines for tonight announced ahead of time.
Now we know he’s dancing to the below deck scene from the Titanic, a favourite scene from a favourite film of mine. I can’t wait!
18:37 , Annabel NugentNever thought I’d see Shirley Ballas and Josh Widdicombe doing the Titanic on live TV, but hey that’s Movie Week for you!
18:35 , Annabel Nugent With the judges done giving their verdicts, it’s up to Johannes for the post-dance debrief and to hear the scores. Do you agree?
Dani and Nikita: 6, 6, 5, 6 = 23
18:33 , Annabel NugentOf course, the crowd is booing Craig Revel Horwood who is asking for smoother transitions from this duo – though he did go out of his way to compliment that gorgeous heel turn.
“Pretty good comments from the beast there,” says Josh Widdicombe.
18:30 , Annabel Nugent I must say, this song always gets me... did you know “Tale as Old as Time” won the 1992 Oscar for Best Original Song?
18:28 , Annabel Nugent Obsessed with “Princess Nikita”! Cinderella, eat your heart out.
18:26 , Annabel Nugent Personally I’m in favour of bringing Movie Week forward – it’s always one of the most entertaining episodes so it’s fun to see all 15 contestants have the opportunity to take part. And what better music to introduce the episode than the ultimate dancing film... Footloose!
18:23 , Annabel NugentA reminder of the leaderboard from last week...
18:22 , Annabel NugentMovie Week 2 Live Show Thread
— 🪩 All Things Strictly 🪩 (@StrictlySparks) October 3, 2026
First up scores that rolled over from Week 1. pic.twitter.com/6934jRIVXX
While the dancers face scrutiny from the judges tonight, the new hosting trio will have their own challenge: proving that three isn’t a crowd after viewers criticised the new set-up during last week’s live show.
18:20 , Annabel Nugent The first performance of the night is a wild number inspired by the 2016 animated film Zootopia with slick fox moves and bunny-hopping footwork.
18:17 , Annabel NugentDun dun dun... it’s the first elimination of the series! Side note: I’m totally buying Emma Willis as an army instructor.
18:13 , Annabel Nugent We are officially minutes away from Movie Week, which is a strange thing to be writing given that we’re only in week two of Strictly!
Fans typically have to wait much later in the season to see their favourite stars take on film-inspired routines, but new host Johannes Radebe revealed in an interview with The Independent that the tradition was moved to ensure that all stars had a chance to take part in at least one themed week.
More on that here...
Strictly’s new host reveals reason behind big Movie Week change
18:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottOnly 15 minutes to go... after which I’ll be handing the reins of this live blog over to my esteemed colleague and Strictly expert Annabel Nugent who will be keeping you updated on all things ballroom tonight!
17:30 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottThe first suspected crush of the season was spotted in last week’s live episode.
Katya Jones was caught by lip readers seemingly calling Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb “fit” after his impressive paso doble.
After the moment went viral, Jones texted her previous Strictly partner Ed Balls to clear things up: “I said fierce!”
So, no Strictly romances so far it seems. Although they’d have Craig’s blessing...
Craig Revel Horwood says he ‘encourages people to fall in love’ on Strictly
17:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottCach Mercer has already proven to be the dance floor bad boy of this year’s Strictly series after judges told the Love Island star off for improvising during his Quickstep.
Since appearing on Love Island, Cach has earned legions of TikTok followers for his posts showing off his Afrobeat, hip-hop and street dance moves.
However, his natural ability to move appears only to have gotten him in trouble with Shirley, Craig, Motsi and Anton so far...
16:30 , Lydia Spencer-Elliott@cacherel_ll DC:@Manny
♬ original sound - A1
Of all the celebrity contestants vying for the Glitterball this year, John Nellis may be one of the less familiar faces to Strictly viewers.
The 33-year-old social media star from Newcastle, County Down isn’t just a newbie to the world of dance, but a relative newcomer to all things showbiz too, having worked as an air traffic controller as recently as four years ago.
John couldn’t ask for a better partner to lead him through the choppy industry waters than longtime pro Katya Jones.
Meet John Nellis: the YouTuber who’s now the favourite to win Strictly
16:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottStrictly's first scoreboard for 2026
In case you need a reminder of who came where on the show’s opening week, here are those all important scores from week one...
- John Nellis and Katya Jones - 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 31
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington - 7 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 29
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola - 7 + 6 + 7 + 7 = 27
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu - 6 + 7 + 6 + 7 = 26
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley - 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita - 4 + 6 + 5 + 7 = 22
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin - 6 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 22
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu - 5 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 21
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby - 3 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 20
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał - 4 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 20
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell - 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 18
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden - 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 16
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon - 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 15
- Shaun-Wright Phillips and Alexis Warr - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec - 2 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 15
If Strictly Come Dancing and It Takes Two aren’t enough to satisfy your ballroom cravings, you’ll be delighted to know another spin-off show is on the way.
Fronted by comedian Abi Clarke and Strictly alum Tyler West, who competed in the 2022 series, Strictly: Lights Up will be available on BBC iPlayer after each Sunday’s results show and feature “immediate reactions from the night’s eliminated couple [and] their dance-off opponents – plus the judges, hosts, other Strictly stars and studio guests”.
And if that wasn’t enough, BBC also revealed plans for a special “Strictly hub” on iPlayer, where fans will be able to enjoy additional exclusive content.
Could this...be too much Strictly?
15:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottFrom themed Cha Chas to Charlestons, Tangos to Sambas, here what to expect from tonight’s episode...
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu - Cha Cha to Pretty Woman from the movie Pretty Woman.
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin - Foxtrot to Beauty and the Beast from the movie Beauty and the Beast.
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington - American Smooth to I'll Never Love Again from the movie A Star Is Born.
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden - Cha Cha to I'm Always Here from the movie Baywatch.
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley - Waltz to The Godfather Waltz from the movie The Godfather.
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu - Paso Doble to No Good Deed from the movie Wicked: For Good.
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr - Salsa to You Should Be Dancing from the movie Saturday Night Fever.
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola - Quickstep to I Knew It, I Knew You from the movie Toy Story 5.
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell - Foxtrot to Old Time Rock & Roll from the movie Risky Business.
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec - Waltz to Edelweiss from the movie The Sound of Music.
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon - Charleston to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from the movie Mary Poppins.
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita - American Smooth to Rewrite The Stars from the movie The Greatest Showman.
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby - Samba to We Go Together from the movie Grease.
- John Nellis and Katya Jones - Couple's Choice to An Irish Party in Third Class from the movie Titanic.
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał - Viennese Waltz to Le Festin from the movie Rataouille.
Johannes Radebe spills the beans on how he landed the coveted Strictly hosting gig after being asked to audition by a Strictly producer...
“I was like, ‘Johannes, the thought of even saying yes to this opportunity – who the hell do you think you are?’” he says. “But they said, ‘We fully understand you’re not a broadcaster or presenter. We know you are somebody who understands the fabric of the show. You love the show and we will guide you.’ If I didn’t have that conversation with him, I wouldn’t have even said yes to that chemistry test. But I also thought… nothing ventured, nothing gained. If anybody else had this opportunity, they would grab it with both hands, right? So why not me?”
Read the full interview below...
Johannes Radebe on Strictly and survival: ‘I was told I’d amount to nothing’
14:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottIsobel Lewis, our resident Strictly expert, was unconvinced by the show’s new hosts during the first live episode...
Here’s a snippet from Isobel’s review of last week. Do you agree?
Down on the dance floor, things were less smooth sailing. On paper, I can understand the impulse to cast Willis and Widdicombe as a duo. She is the consummate presenting professional setting up the jokes, he the cheeky chappy landing the punchline. It worked for Daly and Winkleman, and in the scripted portions of Saturday, it worked here too. But while Winkleman is a very funny person, and a funny presenter, she’s not a comedian, and that’s the problem Widdicombe was facing..
Read the full review here:
Strictly Come Dancing review: Josh Widdicombe is a problem the show needs to solve
13:51 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottNew host Johannes Radebe revealed the reason for Movie Week being pulled forwards in an interview with The Independent this week.
The tradition was moved to ensure that all stars had a chance to take part in at least one themed week, he told culture news editor Lauren Morris.
“We've never had that on the show and seeing just how we've moved everything in certain places and how it's structured, it's really gonna be exciting. Something that hasn’t happened in years so I know the professionals are going to eat it up. I can’t wait to see their creative process and what they're gonna come up with for their partners.”
Read the full story here:
Strictly’s new host reveals reason behind big Movie Week change
13:40 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottAfter weeks of speculation, the stars officially unveiled their professional partners during the show’s launch programme.
See the full list of pairings below. Remember, it takes two to tango...
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
- • Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
- • Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
- • Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
- • Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
- • Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
- • Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
- • John Nellis and Katya Jones
- • Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
- • Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
- • Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
- • Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
- • Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
- • Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
- • Will Best and Dianne Buswell
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live blog for tonight’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing. Amid all the recent changes to the show’s line-up and the format, you’d be right to double check the episode’s start time.
Viewers can tune into Strictly on BBC One at 6.15pm, with an earlier than usual Movie Week, that’ll see cinematic performances from all of this year’s couples.
