Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One this weekend, following months of scandal surrounding its pro dancers.
Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington, who lifted the lid on the scandal with a set of allegations against Giovanni Pernice, has claimed there are “50 hours” of rehearsal footage that left BBC producers “horrified” by her former dance partner’s alleged behaviour.
Pernice has denied all claims and, on 29 July, learnt the result of the BBC’s investigation into the accusations. The findings are yet to be made public.
Graziano di Prima has also been at the centre of controversy because of alleged behaviour in his rehearsals with Zara McDermott. Both di Prima and Pernice have left the show.
This year marks Strictly’s 20th anniversary, and the new contestants will be hoping their fancy footwork can make headlines for the right reasons.
You can get to know the celebrity contestants here.
Their professional dance partners will be revealed in Saturday’s (14 September) opening episode, which airs tonight on BBC One at 7.20pm.
Follow for live updates below…
What time is the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 launch show on tonight?
Meet the contestants: The stars of this year’s Strictly discuss the shows post-scandal era
‘This year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up might just be secretly brilliant’
VIDEO: Strictly’s Nick Knowles shares gruelling training update ahead of first live show
21:01 , Isobel Lewis
That’s the end of the show! The opening episode bows out with a sparkling final number, followed by two poignant tributes to former contestant Dave Myers and pro dancer Robin Windsor.
20:58 , Isobel Lewis
And our celebrities are hitting the dance floor for the first time!
Honestly, there’s so many couples it’s hard to keep track of who’s who, but The X Factor winner Shayne Ward, Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri and Gladiators star Montell Douglas are the ones looking immediately promising to me!
20:55 , Isobel Lewis
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 couples – full list of celebrities and their partners
20:51 , Isobel Lewis
Paul looks honestly baffled by the whole thing. Sounds like his week one American Smooth to “Vindaloo” is going to be, erm, quite the watch.
20:49 , Ellie Harrison
And we have our final couples! They are:
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
20:47 , Ellie Harrison
Sage words from Paul Merson: “I’ve danced three times, and they’re all at my weddings.”
He jokes that 2023 contestant Tony Adams told him “not to do” the show, but insists he’s going to have fun – even if his face might not say it…
20:42 , Isobel Lewis
God, this is going quickly, isn’t it? It’s our last three celebs: Paul Merson, Nick Knowles, and Tom Dean MBE.
20:39 , Isobel Lewis
Yes, you heard that right. Miranda star Sarah Hadland has admitted that she tried to “manifest” dancing with Vito by taking his shoe, sniffing it, and saying, “Bring me Vito.”
If it works, it works, I guess?
20:34 , Ellie Harrison
Amy isn’t the only pro dancer returning in 2024. Aljaž Škorjanec is also back on the floor this series, and Tasha is clearly thrilled to be with him.
20:31 , Isobel Lewis
And we have our next four couples! They are:
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
20:30 , Isobel Lewis
Dr Punam Krishan explains that she’s going to keep working at her practice during the show (impressive), and Chris McCausland quips: “None of us can believe we have managed to get in the same room as a GP.”
Ba-dum-tss!
20:28 , Isobel Lewis
Interestingly, Tasha is referencing the previous dance experience that has seen people criticise her casting on the show. “I started dancing because of my deafness,” she explains, adding that she’s never done any ballroom styles.
Below, you can find out how much dance experience all of the contestants on Strictly 2024 have:
All of the Strictly stars with dance experience, from Tasha Ghouri to JB Gill
20:24 , Ellie Harrison
The next four contestants about to find their couples are Toyah Willcox, Dr Punam Krishan, Tasha Ghouri, and Sarah Hadland.
20:19 , Isobel Lewis
The stars of this year’s Strictly discuss the shows post-scandal era
20:17 , Isobel Lewis
Back on the floor for one last performance, it’s reigning champs and possessors of the Glitterball Trophy, Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola!
And they’re doing their best dance: their Paso Doble to “Insomnia” by Faithless. Still slaps, doesn’t it.
20:10 , Isobel Lewis
Amy seems pretty made up with the smooth-talking, “Merry Christmas”-saying JB being her partner.
“I’ve got a feeling my comeback is going to be pretty strong now,” she said. “I can just see from those three steps we did: talent.”
20:07 , Isobel Lewis
And we’ve got our next four couples – including Amy Dowden’s new partner! They are:
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
20:05 , Isobel Lewis
Up in the Claud-itorium, the contestants are all clearly very nervous, but having a whale of a time. JLS’s JB Gill mum has given him some words of encouragement; Pete Wicks’, on the other hand, laughed in his face.
20:00 , Isobel Lewis
Our next four contestants getting their partners are Montell Douglas, Pete Wicks, JB Gill and Sam Quek.
19:52 , Isobel Lewis
Appreciate Chris’s optimism, telling Dianne she won’t be getting to the final again this year and joking that his Aussie partner is looking forward to having November off. “I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but we’re going to work it out together,” she says.
ICYMI, Chris is Strictly’s first ever blind contestant. Speaking to The Independent ahead of the new series, he admitted that he and his partner were going to be “winging it”.
Strictly’s first blind star Chris McCausland says he and pro partner are ‘winging it’
19:49 , Isobel Lewis
OK, we have our first four couples. They are:
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
19:45 , Isobel Lewis
But first, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Amy Dowden’s return to the dancefloor! She’s leading her fellow pros in an emotional, passionate routine mashing up a load of songs, including Dua Lipa’s ‘Training Season’ and Jungle’s ‘Keep Moving’.
Amazing stuff all round, and the dancers are embracing Amy and lifting her in the air.
19:42 , Isobel Lewis
The first four contestants to find out their partners are Chris McCausland, Shayne Ward, Jamie Borthwick and Wynne Evans.
Tess Daly points out that Jamie has previously competed on the show’s Christmas special, and Wynne coughs and calls him a “cheat”. Nice to see a bit of light-hearted ribbing already, then!
19:33 , Isobel Lewis
And our contestants are all here! Don’t they scrub up well?
19:32 , Isobel Lewis
Nice bit of Strictly trivia in there for the fact fans: Craig has given out just 10 one-point paddles in his 20 years on the show, and six of them were to former contestant turned judge Anton du Beke.
19:30 , Ellie Harrison
Well, Craig Revel Horwood’s beard is certainly… something. Very Jason Manford.
19:29 , Isobel Lewis
You might have spotted fans going wild for Amy Dowden in that routine. The Welsh dancer is returning to the show this series, after Amy was sadly forced to pull out of the 2023 series after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
You can read the latest update on her recovery below:
Amy Dowden details new cancer scare ahead of Strictly Come Dancing return
19:26 , Isobel Lewis
Naturally, this is a pretty OTT way of kicking off the series, even by Strictly’s sparkling standards. But don’t forget, the show is celebrating 20 years on our screens this year – so it was always bound to be a big one!
19:23 , Isobel Lewis
Out the gate and the show’s off with a bang, with a Strictly meets the Vengabus parody! God, I’ve really missed this show.
19:20 , Isobel Lewis
And we’re go! Anyone else excited?
19:12 , Isobel Lewis
Hi all! I’ll be covering this eve’s Strictly launch show, as we get back into the groove and find out which pro partners are celebrities are going to be dancing with. It’ll also give viewers a first look at the calibre of dance talent on display, so pay attention to that footwork!
18:21 , Roisin O’Connor
After weeks of scandal, there was a lot riding on the 2024 ‘Strictly’ line-up, but the initial reaction from fans has been lacklustre. However, it’s too early to write off this year’s contestants, argues Rachel McGrath – and they might just surprise us
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up might just be secretly brilliant
18:01 , Roisin O’Connor
17:41 , Roisin O’Connor
The BBC’s beloved dancing show is getting a shiny new rebrand as it recovers from a set of damning allegations. But what will a new ‘Strictly’, at 20 years old, look like? Ellie Muir speaks to this year’s cast, from Nick Knowles to Sarah Hadland, to find out
The stars of this year’s Strictly discuss the shows post-scandal era
17:21 , Roisin O’Connor
Soap star finds himself in a somewhat advantageous position over his fellow contestants
The EastEnders star whose Strictly casting might irk purists
17:01 , Roisin O’Connor
16:41 , Roisin O’Connor
Tom Dean’s journey from Olympic gold medals to Strictly Come Dancing
16:21 , Roisin O’Connor
‘No promises on my dancing ability,’ warned the actor and singer
Shayne Ward’s journey from X Factor audition to Coronation Street and now Strictly
16:01 , Roisin O’Connor
15:41 , Roisin O’Connor
The actor is best known for her role as Stevie in the BBC sitcom ‘Miranda’
Meet Sarah Hadland, the comedian and Miranda star taking to the Strictly dance floor
15:21 , Roisin O’Connor
Ghouri fell in love with dance when she felt the ‘bass and vibrations’ through the huge speakers in her home
Tasha Ghouri, from being Love Island’s first deaf contestant to Strictly
15:01 , Roisin O’Connor
14:40 , Roisin O’Connor
Star is known for his love for dogs and his friendship with ‘Made in Chelsea’ star Sam Thompson
Pete Wicks: The Strictly 2024 contestant who rose to fame on Towie
14:21 , Roisin O’Connor
From GoCompare to Cha-cha-cha…
Wynne Evans, the singer hoping to get opera into his Strictly dance routines
14:00 , Roisin O’Connor
13:41 , Roisin O’Connor
The ‘I Want to Be Free’ singer will be putting her experience from years of touring and West End performing to the test
Everything you need to know about Toyah Willcox as she enters Strictly Come Dancing
13:21 , Roisin O’Connor
TV medic said her inclusion on the BBC series ‘still doesn’t feel real’
The Strictly star swapping the surgery for the dancefloor
13:00 , Roisin O’Connor
12:41 , Roisin O’Connor
Comedian is making history with appearance on this year’s series
Strictly’s first blind celebrity hoping to lift 2024 trophy
12:21 , Roisin O’Connor
The ‘One Shot’ singer will be swapping his microphone for ballroom shoes
Meet the JLS boyband member JB Gill taking on Strictly Come Dancing
12:00 , Roisin O’Connor
11:41 , Roisin O’Connor
This sprinter-turned-bobsledder will be swapping her ‘Gladiators’ suit for a glittery ballroom gown
Meet Strictly Come Dancing’s Montell Douglas, AKA Fire from Gladiators
11:21 , Roisin O’Connor
The ex-footballer enjoyed a successful career on the field and then as a pundit, while also battling numerous personal demons
Paul Merson, the ex-footballer competing on Strictly after rollercoaster career
11:01 , Roisin O’Connor
10:41 , Roisin O’Connor
Sam Quek was the final celebrity revealed to be joining this year’s Strictly Come Dancing celebrity line-up.
Quek was announced to participate on the 2024 run of the BBC dancing competition in August on an episode of The One Show. “I am so relieved it is out there now it has been hard to keep a secret!” she said. “The rumours were spreading and I had to lie!”
Quek is an Olympic hockey champion, having won a gold medal with team Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The athlete has won 125 international caps for the England and GB women’s hockey teams, winning her first against Argentina in 2007 aged just 19 while still studying sports and exercise science at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Get to know Sam ahead of this season’s contest:
Sam Quek: The Olympic hockey player turned Question of Sport star taking on Strictly
10:21 , Roisin O’Connor
Award-winning veteran British TV presenter Nick Knowles is competing in this year’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing, adding to his long list of credits on the small screen.
Knowles, 61, told the BBC: “I’m so, so excited to be doing Strictly this year. People may be more used to me getting stuck in on a building site or travelling the world, but dancing live on TV will be a whole new adventure.”
He added: “I’ve spent my whole life learning new skills and I’ve never been afraid of a challenge – there’s life in the old dog yet to take on one more big one – being taught how to dance! I’ll give it my everything… and try not to embarrass my kids of course!”
Get to know Nick:
Nick Knowles: The TV titan’s journey from DIY SOS to Strictly
10:00 , Roisin O’Connor
09:41 , Roisin O’Connor
A comedian, a JLS star and DIY SOS presenter are among those who have been announced
Strictly Come Dancing reveals full list of celebrity contestants
09:20 , Roisin O’Connor
Featuring a professionally-trained commercial dancer and theatre school graduate…
All of the Strictly stars with dance experience, from Tasha Ghouri to JB Gill
09:00 , Roisin O’Connor
08:49 , Roisin O’Connor
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens tonight, albeit under a cloud of controversy.
This year marks the hit BBC show’s 20th anniversary, meaning showrunners are likely to be pulling out all the stops.
Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and with Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse on the judging panel, the 2024 series returns with a launch show on Saturday 14 September at 7.20pm on BBC.
In tonight’s episode, fans will get to meet all of the celebrity contestants and find out which professional dancers they’ll be paired up with.
08:46 , Roisin O’Connor
08:40 , Roisin O’Connor
After weeks of scandal, there was a lot riding on the 2024 ‘Strictly’ line-up, but the initial reaction from fans has been lacklustre. However, it’s too early to write off this year’s contestants, argues Rachel McGrath – and they might just surprise us
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up might just be secretly brilliant
08:20 , Roisin O’Connor
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s Strictly Come Dancing liveblog!
We’ll be bringing you the latest news, commentary and updates as the BBC’s embattled dancing competition returns to our screens, with a brand new cast of celebrities and their professional dance partners.
If you have no idea who’s competing this year, Ellie Muir’s interview feature with the 2024 cast is probably a good place to start:
The stars of this year’s Strictly discuss the shows post-scandal era
07:30 , Inga Parkel
The actor is best known for her role as Stevie in the BBC sitcom ‘Miranda’
05:30 , Inga Parkel
‘No promises on my dancing ability,’ warned the actor and singer
03:30 , Inga Parkel
The swimmer won gold in the men’s freestyle relay at this year’s Paris Games
01:30 , Inga Parkel
Soap star finds himself in a somewhat advantageous position over his fellow contestants
Friday 13 September 2024 23:30 , Inga Parkel
Strictly Come Dancing is traditionally the sparkliest show on television – but it’s never been more necessary for its line-up to shine brighter than a sequin factory in the midsummer sun.
Read more:
After weeks of scandal, there was a lot riding on the 2024 ‘Strictly’ line-up, but the initial reaction from fans has been lacklustre. However, it’s too early to write off this year’s contestants, argues Rachel McGrath – and they might just surprise us
Friday 13 September 2024 21:30 , Inga Parkel
Strictly Come Dancing is almost back on our screens and fans are once again putting on their detective hats to find out which celebrities have an “advantage” due to past dance training.
This year’s lineup includes a professionally trained commercial dancer, a JLS member and a musician with West End performance experience. Find out who they are, and what they’ve said about their training, below.
Read more:
Featuring a professionally-trained commercial dancer and theatre school graduate
Friday 13 September 2024 19:30 , Inga Parkel
Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland has revealed how the BBC production team have been supporting him as the show’s first blind contestant.
Read More:
Comedian, who lost his sight aged 22, said he is ‘figuring it out’ as he goes along
Friday 13 September 2024 17:29 , Ellie Harrison
From Nick Knowles to Tasha Ghouri… here’s who will be competing this year
Strictly Come Dancing reveals full list of celebrity contestants
Friday 13 September 2024 18:08 , Inga Parkel
From GoCompare to Cha-cha-cha…
