Strictly Come Dancing 2024 contestants, release date and news

Get your paddles out because Strictly is returning to our TV screens soon.

The BBC has been gradually unveiling the celebrities taking part in this year’s competition ahead of its autumn debut. However, the show has made headlines for other reasons, with several former contestants coming forward to report negative experiences with both partners and producers.

Since then, two professional dancers have been released and an investigation is ongoing. If you want to know what’s in store for Strictly 2024, we’ve got everything you need to know.

When does Strictly return?

The BBC has not yet confirmed the exact date when Strictly will return. However, we can estimate when the launch show will be broadcast based on previous years.

For the past three years, the pre-recorded launch shows have been broadcast on September 16, 23 and 18 respectively, with the live competition kicking off the following week.

That shows a pattern of the show airing on Saturdays in the second or third week of September. Therefore, we estimate that Strictly 2024 will air on both Saturday September 13 or Saturday September 20, 2024.

Who are the Strictly contestants?

Not all the celebrities have been announced yet, but here’s who has been confirmed so far:

• Comedian Chris McCausland
• Singer and presenter JB Gill
• Broadcaster and opera singer Wynne Evans
• Singer and actress Toyah Willcox
• Media physician Dr. Punam Krishan
• Model and TV personality Tasha Ghouri
• TV personality Pete Wicks

The combinations will only be announced during the launch show.

Who are the strict professionals?

These are the professional dancers for Strictly 2024:

• Aljaž Škorjanec
• Amy Dowden
• Carlos Gu
• Dianne Buswell
• Gorka Marquez
• Johannes Radebe
• Jowita Przystal
• Kai Widdrington
• Karen Hauer
• Katya Jones
• Lauren Oakley
• Luba Mushtuk
• Michelle Tsiakkas
• Nadiya Bychkova
• Nancy Xu
• Neil Jones
• Nikita Kuzmin
• Vito Coppola

Aljaž is back on the show after a two-year break – he is the husband of Janette Manrara and won the competition in 2013 with Abbey Clancey.

Two dancers missing from the line-up are Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. Both former professionals have left the show following allegations of abuse and bullying from former partners.

The BBC has an ongoing investigation into training footage.

Who are the presenters and judges of Strictly 2024?

Once again, Tess Daley and Claudia Winkelman return to host the main show. Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke are all back on the jury.

It is not yet confirmed whether Janette Manrara and Fleur East will return to host the spin-off show It Takes Two, which will interview duos and look behind the scenes at the production, costumes and training for the competition.

The same goes for the official Strictly podcast, previously hosted by Joe Sugg and Kim Winston, who provide more insights and gossip about the competition for audio listeners.

Who won Strictly Come Dancing 2023?

EastEnders’ Bobby Brazier and Bad Education actor Layton Williams battled it out for the glitterball trophy. But in the end, Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach won the title with her partner Vito Coppola.

They scored a maximum of 40 points for their American Smooth routine. However, they made a big mistake on the last lift in their show dance. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop the 22-year-old from claiming victory in the show’s youngest ever final.

How to see beyond Britain

As always, Strictly will be on BBC One. You can watch on your TV as the episode airs, or on BBC iPlayer on most internet-connected devices, whether that’s a laptop, tablet or phone, or perhaps a media streamer or games console.

You can also watch it on BBC iPlayer if you missed the episode and want to catch up. If you’re outside the UK, there are ways to watch BBC iPlayer abroad, such as by using a VPN (virtual private network) like NordVPN. Read more about how to do that here.