Strictly Come Dancing viewership drops for first live show of 2026

Strictly Come Dancing BBC One television ratings viewership entertainment news

The first live show of the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing averaged 4.8 million viewers on BBC One, reaching a peak of 5 million. While it was the most-watched programme of the night, the figures represent a drop of approximately 1 million viewers compared to the previous week’s launch episode, which averaged 6.2 million.

The broadcast featured a new presenting lineup consisting of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe, replacing long-term hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The decline in overnight ratings may be attributed to competition from a live UEFA Nations League match between England and Spain on ITV1.

A BBC spokesperson noted that overnight ratings do not provide a complete picture of viewership, emphasizing the importance of catch-up streams on iPlayer. The episode saw John Nellis and Katya Jones lead the leaderboard, while no eliminations occurred during this opening live show.

Entities

BBC · Emma Willis · Johannes Radebe · Josh Widdicombe · Strictly Come Dancing

Sources

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