Ahead of Strictly Come Dancing returning to our screens in September, a lot was in doubt. The show had suffered two controversy-ridden years, with several professionals exiting under a dark cloud, not to mention the Wynne Evans hand saga and then Tom “Bosh” Skinner causing a stir. But this was all overshadowed when longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they would be stepping down. It all left critics asking: has Strictly lost its sparkle?
After a well-documented audition process, the BBC found its new hosts and set about revamping the programme. But now that we’re eight weeks in, it’s clear things aren’t exactly going as smoothly as producers had hoped.
Viewing figures dipped for the launch show – with 4.8 million tuning in, down from last year’s 6.2 million – and the weekly averages tell a similar story, with ratings ranging from 5 to 6 million, versus 7 million in 2025.
So where has it all gone wrong? These are the biggest issues bosses are facing...
Teething issues with the new hosts
Daly and Winkleman’s shoes were always going to be tough to fill – so much so that the Beeb plumped for three stars to replace the duo, naming Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and former Strictly professional Johannes Radebe as the new hosts earlier this year.
So how have the new presenters fared? It was a shaky start. Widdicombe was spotted mouthing along as his co-hosts read their lines from the autocue, and the comedian looked like a spare part bobbing along next to seasoned pro Willis, while Radebe was a fish out of water, having swapped dancing for presenting.
The trio have, it has to be said, improved in the weeks since. Down on the dancefloor, where they spend most of the show, Widdicombe and Willis have become more of a functioning duo as the series has gone on. Their skits have gotten funnier and more elaborate (though they remain a little unnecessary, in a show that runs to almost three hours long at the start of the series).
Likewise, Radebe has settled into life in the Clauditorium, growing in confidence and developing his own presenting style, as well as offering much-needed pep talks to the couples.
Even so, reports have swirled that another shake-up could be on the horizon, with bosses reportedly considering another “overhaul” ahead of next year’s series. “It should be slicker, in the view of many at the top of the BBC, so there are changes afoot,” one source told The Daily Mail.
The line-up
Whether the Strictly line-up is up to scratch is a topic that’s debated every year, but for 2026, it seems critics may have had a point: what is going on with the bookers?
EastEnders actor Lacey Turner is the closest the Class of 2026 has to a household name, and filling the “enthusiastic but not-so-skilled” male sports star slot was Shaun Wright-Phillips (who has already left the competition). As the camera cut to Wright-Phillips’ dad, Ian Wright, in the audience during one live show, you couldn’t help but feel the Arsenal legend would have been a better booking.
Strictly’s bid to pull in younger viewers has also led to two social media stars donning the sequins this year: ex-Love Islander Cach Mercer and football YouTuber John Nellis. The newbies are winning over viewers but the heady heights of Ed Balls flinging Katya Jones through his legs to “Gangnam Style” are now a distant memory.
There’s a distinct lack of contestants who are causing conversation too. For all his faults, Skinner was a spicy signing, and in 2024, Pete Wicks sparked debate as he sailed through week-on-week, thanks entirely to votes from viewers. Perhaps the best indicator of how safe bosses have played it is this: a distinct lack of Strictly curse talk. Bar some low-level chatter about the chemistry between Mercer and his pro partner Maddie Ingoldsby, the backstage gossip is seriously lacking.
Vote-to-leave twist
In a bid to make Halloween Week even scarier, Strictly announced a one-off change to the dreaded dance-off and declared that three celebrities would be forced to perform again instead of the usual two.
It was an alteration designed to up the stakes – and in that sense, bosses succeeded. But with it came another twist: rather than choosing a pair to save, the judges were asked to name who should leave. It led to an exit that felt a bit mean and decidedly un-Strictly.
Under the normal system, the judges can usually focus on the better performance of the celebrity being saved. But the vote-to-leave format meant Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb was ousted after having his mistakes highlighted and being told he’d “failed to hit the mark” compared to his fellow competitors.
Celebrity Traitors stealing the spotlight (and famous faces)
The big names aren’t on the Strictly dancefloor because they’re clamouring to sign up for Celebrity Traitors instead. While Strictly was once the gold standard of celebrity competition shows, it’s been knocked off most stars’ wish lists by the BBC’s younger and fresher format.
After the huge success of last year’s inaugural Celebrity Traitors, bosses capitalised on their success with the series two cast, booking the likes of Michael Sheen and Coronation Street legend Julie Hesmondhalgh, while Joe Lycett led the comedians taking part.
You also got the sense the lesser-known names are more carefully picked on Celebrity Traitors, rather than thrown in to make up the numbers – a theory that was proven by Sebastian Croft’s win, and Traitor King Kenny’s phenomenal gameplay.
There’s nothing Strictly can really do about Celebrity Traitors, but as well as stealing the big names, it’s also nabbed its spot as the ultimate appointment viewing.
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