The Greatest Dancer is a British dance competition television series created by Simon Cowell and produced by Syco Entertainment. The first BBC programme created by Cowell, The Greatest Dancer sees previously undiscovered dance acts perform live weekly for Cheryl, Oti Mabuse, Matthew Morrison and Todrick Hall (series 2 only) (the "Dance Captains") and a studio audience in a competition to win £50,000 and a chance to perform on Strictly Come Dancing.
The first series aired on BBC One on Saturdays from 5 January to 23 February 2019, and was won by 14-year-old solo dancer Ellie Fergusson from Livingston, West Lothian, who was mentored by Oti Mabuse. A second series premiered on 4 January 2020, with the addition of Todrick Hall to the judging panel, and Curtis Pritchard replaced Amelia Wilson as the receptionist. The series ran until 7 March 2020, when it was won by Latin and ballroom dancers Michael and Jowita, also mentored by Mabuse. On 28 April 2020, the BBC announced that were no plans for any further series of The Greatest Dancer.
Series overview Series 1: 5 January – 23 February 2019 (8 episodes) Auditions: 5–26 January 2019 Live shows: 2–23 February 2019 Series 2: 4 January 2020 – 7 March 2020 (10 episodes) Auditions: 4–25 January 2020 Live shows: 1 February–7 March 2020
Judges: Dancer in Team Oti Dancer in Team Matthew Dancer in Team Cheryl Dancer in Team Todrick
+Finalist OverviewSeriesWinnerRunners-upFourth PlaceWinning MentorHostsDance Captains (seat order)12341 Ellie Fergusson Harry & Eleiyah KLA James & Oliver Oti MabuseAlesha DixonJordan Banjo Oti Matthew Cheryl 2 Michael & Jowita Harrison Vaughan Lily & Joseph Dancepoint Todrick
Format A non-televised pilot for the show was filmed in February 2018 at Hammersmith Apollo in London.
Auditions The auditions for the first series took place at ICC Birmingham in August of the previous year and were divided into three episodes in 2019, and four in 2020, airing each Saturday. Auditioning acts were allowed to consist of any number of members, and each person participating was required to be at least 7 years old. Each auditioning act performed in front of a one-way mirror and each audience member had a light to turn on during each audition that they liked; only acts for whom at least 75 percent of the audience turned on their lights would qualify for the callbacks. The format was adapted from the Israeli television music competition franchise Rising Star. In the second series, at the end of each audition show, one Dance Captain chose their 'Greatest Dancer Of The Day', an act of their choice which advances straight to the live shows.
Callbacks The callbacks aired as a separate show in 2019, and immediately after the fourth round of auditions in 2020. From the acts that had qualified for the callbacks, the Dance Captains each selected three to join their team (or two in the second series as they had each already chosen a 'Greatest Dancer Of The Day' for their team previously).
Live Challenge Each Saturday, the final acts performed to stay in the competition. Each act was assigned a different challenge, which they had to incorporate into their performance. Much like the auditions, each audience member had a light to turn on during each performance that they liked. After all acts had performed, the public were given the opportunity to vote for their favourite acts. Either one or two acts were voted off each week, eventually leaving four to compete in the final show.
Final Each of the four acts in the final firstly perform a collaboration with their respective Dance Captain, and the act that received the fewest votes from the public finished in fourth place. The three remaining acts then each performed a reprise of the dance they performed in the auditions stage. The act that received the most votes from the public was crowned the winner and received £50,000 and a chance to perform on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Series 1 (2019) Live show details Acts
ActNo. ofmembersHometownGenreDance CaptainResult1LivingstonContemporary2VariousContemporaryCheryl8South WalesLatin formation2Hatfield, HertfordshireContemporary9VariousContemporaryCheryl4LondonStreet14VariousCommercial13LondonStreet5LondonCommercial
Week 1 (2 February) Group performance: "The Greatest" with Dance Captains Guest performance: Freya Ridings ("Lost Without You") with Rambert Dance Company
Order Act Song(s) Challenge theme Studio votes Result1James & Oliver"Sing Sing Sing"StairsAdvanced2Frobacks"Toccata and Fugue"/"O Fortuna"/"Candy Shop"/"September"/"I Just Want to Make Love to You"ClassicalAdvanced3Company Jinks"Unsteady"ChairAdvanced4The Globe Girls"Salute"/"Crazy in Love"/"Shake It Off"SportEliminated 5 Prospects Fraternity"A Sky Full of Stars"/"Here We Go Now"/"Colour"ColoursAdvanced6Dane Bates Collective"Runnin' (Lose It All)"DoorsAdvanced7KLA"Samba de Janeiro"/"I Like It Like That"/"Aquarela do Brasil"CarnivalAdvanced8Ellie"Bird Set Free"FairytaleAdvanced9Harry & Eleiyah"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"Doctor WhoAdvanced
Week 2 (9 February) Guest performance: Years & Years ("Play") with BalletBoyz
Order Act Song(s) Challenge theme Studio votes Result1KLA"Viva La Vida"/"A Million Dreams"IceAdvanced2Dane Bates Collective"What a Wonderful World"HollywoodAdvanced3Prospects Fraternity"Rapper's Delight"/"Will 2K"TablesEliminated4James & Oliver"I Dreamed a Dream"Les MisérablesAdvanced5Harry & Eleiyah"Sail"—AwolnationFour WallsAdvanced6Company Jinks"Good Luck"ToysEliminated7Ellie"Experience"—Ludovico EinaudiOrchestraAdvanced8Frobacks"Let Me Entertain You"—Robbie Williams / "Black Magic"—Little Mix / "Strip That Down"—Liam PayneSocial NetworkAdvanced
Week 3: Semi-final (16 February) Guest performance: The professional cast of Strictly Come Dancing and the Dance Captains
Order Act Song(s) Challenge theme Studio votes Result1Harry & Eleiyah "Beneath Your Beautiful"CircusAdvanced2KLA"It's Raining Men"/"Proud Mary"/"Walking on Sunshine"UmbrellaAdvanced3Dane Bates Collective"Shake It Out"Night and DayEliminated4Frobacks"Le Freak"/"I Got You (I Feel Good)"/"I'm Coming Out"/"Around the World"/"Celebration"BoxesEliminated5James & Oliver"Salva Mea"SpaceAdvanced6Ellie"Let Go for Tonight"ChandeliersAdvanced
Week 4: Final (23 February) Guest performance: Jess Glynne ("I'll Be There") with breakdance crew The Ruggeds
Dance 1: Performance with Dance Captain (one act eliminated) Dance 2: Reprise of audition dance
OrderActDance CaptainSong(s)Result1KLAOti"Last Dance"/"Run the World (Girls)"Finalist"The Bongo Song"/"Cuba"/"Live and Let Die"/"Rip It Up" 2Harry & EleiyahCheryl"Game of Survival"Finalist"Say Something"3James & OliverMatthew"On Broadway"/"New York, New York"/"You Can't Stop the Beat" Eliminated4EllieOti"Never Enough"Winner"In This Shirt"
Series 2 (2020)
The second series started on 4 January 2020. In a change from last year, at the end of each week a different coach was chosen to pick an act from that week to join their team. The choices were as follow:
Auditions
Week 1 Cheryl was selected to choose a Greatest Dancer of the Day.
ActNo. ofmembersGenreSong ResultRoss and Travis2Street"Let Me Clear My Throat"/"Will 2K"/"I Wanna Dance with Somebody"Advanced to CallbacksLos Rumberos6LatinAdvanced to CallbacksLily and Joseph2Contemporary "Rise Up"Cheryl's Greatest Dancers of the DaySam and Mash2Afro Dance"Dangote"/"Karaoke"Eliminated - 70%Tom1Contemporary "Turning Tables"Advanced to CallbacksGiovanni1Northern SoulAdvanced to Callbacks Waack This Way8Street "In the Hall of the Mountain King"Eliminated - 15%Soar Kids12Street"Finesse" Advanced to CallbacksPatrick and Laura2Irish Dance"I Want It That Way"Advanced to CallbacksMiss J1Street"The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"/"Pyro Ting"/"Hey Mama/"16 Shots"Advanced to CallbacksDinkie Flowers1Tap"Singin' in the Rain"/"Hawaii Five-O theme"Advanced to CallbacksHarrison Vaughan1Contemporary "Enter the Circus"/"Game of Survival"Advanced to Callbacks
Week 2 Todrick Hall was selected to choose a Greatest Dancer of the Day.
ActNo. ofmembersGenreSong ResultMichael and Jowita2Latin"Lollipop"/"Rock Around the Clock"/"Hey! Baby"/"Jump, Jive an' Wail"Advanced to CallbacksJJ Acrobatics16Acro Dance"Toxic"Advanced to CallbacksJake O'Shea1Irish Dance"Traditional Irish Music"/"Diva"Advanced to CallbacksWomanhood5Commercial"Ain't Your Mama"Eliminated - 41%Ainsley Ricketts1Contemporary "Shine On You"Todrick's Greatest Dancer of the DayDN1215Commercial"Wind It Up"/"Spice Up Your Life"/"Heads Will Roll"Advanced to CallbacksAimee1Modern Jazz"Rain Dance"Advanced to CallbacksVale16Contemporary "The Untold"Advanced to Callbacks Tony and Mandy2Latin American"Let's Get Loud"—Jennifer LopezEliminated - 45%Renako Collective5Contemporary "Human"—Rag'n'Bone ManAdvanced to Callbacks
Week 3 Matthew Morrison was selected to choose a Greatest Dancer of the Day.
ActNo. ofmembersGenreSong ResultDancepoint16Contemporary "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"Advanced to CallbacksLaurence Cooke1Street"Feel Good Inc."Eliminated - 73%The Queens7Jazz"Does Your Mother Know"Advanced to CallbacksHannah Martin1Contemporary "Here with Me"Matthew's Greatest Dancer of the DayRyan Gibson1Commercial"Look What You Made Me Do"Advanced to CallbacksYoung Dream Chasers12Street"Phenomenal Woman"Advanced to CallbacksTom and Jo2Latin"Muevete Duro"Advanced to Callbacks Resilience4Ballet"Power"Eliminated - 74%Darius and DJ G2Commercial "In the Morning"/"Flowers"Advanced to CallbacksJordan Crouch1Tap "All of Me"Advanced to Callbacks Brothers of Dance9Contemporary "Wicked Game"Advanced to Callbacks
Week 4
Oti Mabuse was selected to choose a Greatest Dancer of the Day. ActNo. ofmembersGenreSongResultAlex & Jacqueline2Ballroom"Hurt"Advanced to CallbacksElite Dance Juniors9Jazz"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"/ "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"/ "Please Mr. Postman"/ "Do You Love Me"Advanced to CallbacksYassaui Mergaliyev1Ballet"Feeling Good"Advanced to CallbacksJelli15Commercial"Donatella"Advanced to CallbacksJessica Larch1Street / Afro Dance"Boasty"Advanced to CallbacksLegacy Funk5Street"Treat 'em Right"Advanced to CallbacksNonsuch Dancers6Historical Dance"Dancing Queen"Eliminated - 23%Dark Angels12Hip-hop"Beggin'"/"I Need a Girl (Part Two)"/"A Milli"/"Slow Motion"—Trey Songz / "Can't Hold Us"—Macklemore & Ryan Lewis /"I'm Fly"/"Dreams and Nightmares"Oti's Greatest Dancers of the Day
Live show details The Final 12 ActNo. of membersHometownGenreDance CaptainEliminations Michael and Jowita2LondonLatinOti MabuseWinners (7 March 2020)Harrison Vaughan1LiverpoolContemporaryMatthew Morrison Finalists (7 March 2020)Lily and Joseph2SunderlandCherylDancepoint16GlasgowTodrick Hall7 March 2020Brothers of Dance9VariousCheryl29 February 2020Hannah Martin1Burgess HillMatthew MorrisonVale16StockportOti Mabuse22 February 2020Ainsley Ricketts1LondonTodrick Hall15 February 2020Ross and Travis2Portsmouth and BournemouthStreetMatthew Morrison 8 February 2020Dark Angels12BristolHip-hopOti MabuseThe Queens7LondonJazzCheryl1 February 2020Ryan1SandhurstCommercialTodrick Hall
Live Challenge Shows