Strictly Come Dancing returned for its nineteenth series with a launch show on 18 September 2021 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 25 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Rylan Clark returned to host Strictly: It Takes Two alongside new presenter Janette Manrara, who replaced Zoe Ball. In June 2021, the BBC announced that Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood would return to the judging panel. Anton Du Beke, who served as a guest judge in the previous series, joined the panel in place of Bruno Tonioli, who did not return for the second year in a row due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2021, the show's executive producer, Sarah James, said the show would return for a "full-length series", with fifteen celebrities, themed weeks, pre-recorded professional group dances, and a Christmas special, but no Blackpool Tower Ballroom special. For this series, the contestants were no longer restricted to perform one of the "couple's choice" categories — contemporary, theatre/jazz, or street/commercial — and could instead incorporate the routine however they wished. In September, a row broke out over whether dancers should be vaccinated against COVID-19. Reports had suggested that three dancers had refused to be vaccinated, with one unnamed celebrity already having to self-isolate since the show's launch night had been filmed.
EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice were announced as the winners on 18 December, while John Whaite and Johannes Radebe — the first male same-sex couple to compete on the programme — finished in second place.
Format
The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.
The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Shirley Ballas, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.
Professional dancers In March 2021, the BBC announced that all sixteen professional dancers from the eighteenth series would return in 2021. However, in June, the BBC revealed that Janette Manrara and Anton Du Beke would not be reprising their dancing roles: Manrara was announced as a new co-host of It Takes Two, succeeding Zoe Ball, while Du Beke would replace Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel.
In July 2021, the BBC announced that four new professional dancers would be joining the cast: Italian Latin and Ballroom Champion Nikita Kuzmin, who was also a professional dancer on the German version of the show in 2020; South African Latin Champion Cameron Lombard, who was also a finalist on South Africa's Got Talent in 2012; Polish Open Latin Champion Jowita Przystał, who won The Greatest Dancer in 2020; and World Junior Latin American Champion Kai Widdrington, who was also a former professional on the Irish version of the show.
Graziano Di Prima received a celebrity partner for the first time since the sixteenth series, while Nadiya Bychkova and Neil Jones received a celebrity partner for the first time since the seventeenth series. Nancy Xu received a celebrity partner for the first time, as did Nikita Kuzmin and Kai Widdrington, while Luba Mushtuk, Cameron Lombard, and Jowita Przystał did not receive a partner.
Couples This series featured fifteen celebrity contestants. On 4 August 2021, the first three celebrities participating were announced: Tom Fletcher, AJ Odudu, and Robert Webb. The following day, it was announced that John Whaite would be paired as part of the first male same-sex couple in Strictly Come Dancing history. Celebrity contestants continued to be revealed until 13 August 2021, when the full line-up was announced. Rose Ayling-Ellis was also the first deaf contestant to appear on the programme. On 13 October, it was announced that Robert Webb had been advised to withdraw from the competition due to health problems. On 17 December, the day before the final, it was announced that AJ Odudu had withdrawn from the competition after suffering ligament damage in her right ankle.
Celebrity Notability Professional partner Status Nina Wadia Stage & screen actress Neil Jones Eliminated 1ston 3 October 2021 Katie McGlynn Coronation Street actress Gorka Márquez Eliminated 2ndon 10 October 2021 Robert Webb Comedian & actor Dianne Buswell Withdrewon 13 October 2021 Greg Wise Film & television actor Karen Hauer Eliminated 3rdon 17 October 2021 Ugo Monye England rugby player & pundit Oti Mabuse Eliminated 4thon 24 October 2021 Judi Love Comedian & Loose Women panellist Graziano Di Prima Eliminated 5thon 31 October 2021 Adam Peaty Olympic swimmer Katya Jones Eliminated 6thon 7 November 2021 Sara Davies Dragons' Den investor & businesswoman Aljaž Škorjanec Eliminated 7thon 14 November 2021 Tom Fletcher McFly singer Amy Dowden Eliminated 8thon 21 November 2021 Tilly Ramsay Chef & television presenter Nikita Kuzmin Eliminated 9th Dan Walker BBC Breakfast presenter & journalist Nadiya BychkovaEliminated 10thon 5 December 2021 CBBC presenter Nancy Xu Eliminated 11thon 12 December 2021 AJ Odudu Television presenter Kai Widdrington Withdrewon 17 December 2021 John Whaite Baker & television presenter Johannes Radebe Runners-upon 18 December 2021 Rose Ayling-Ellis EastEnders actress Giovanni Pernice Winnerson 18 December 2021
Scoring chart The highest score each week is indicated in with a dagger (), while the lowest score each week is indicated in with a double-dagger ().
Color key:
+Strictly Come Dancing (series 19) - Weekly scores Couple Week 1 2 1+2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rose & Giovanni 1st 22 26 48 36 27 37 32 39 37 33 39+40= 39+40+40= 2nd 30 31 61 29 33 35 38 32 32 39+39=78 39+40+40= AJ & Kai 3rd 31 35 28 35 37 38 36 40+39= Rhys & Nancy 4th 27 30 57 37 31 32 33 34 32 35 36+38= Dan & Nadiya 5th 24 26 50 21 26 28 27 28 29 31 31 Tilly & Nikita 6th 21 55 27 32 36 35 31 29 Tom & Amy 7th 21 32 29 34 29 38 30 Sara & Aljaž 8th 51 28 25 33 32 Adam & Katya 9th 30 19 49 32 29 29 Judi & Graziano 10th 24 25 49 24 24 25 Ugo & Oti 11th 18 25 43 31 Greg & Karen 12th 24 23 47 26 Robert & Dianne 13th 20 27 47 25 Katie & Gorka 14th 22 21 43 24 Nina & Neil 15th 24 Notes
Average chart This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 40-point scale. Couple Rank byaverage Totalpoints Number ofdances Totalaverage John & Johannes 1st 573 16 35.8 Rose & Giovanni 2nd 566 35.4 AJ & Kai 3rd 450 13 34.6 Rhys & Nancy 4th 444 34.2 Tilly & Nikita 5th 315 10 31.5 Tom & Amy 6th 244 8 30.5 Sara & Aljaž 7th 228 28.5 Dan & Nadiya 8th 302 11 27.5 Adam & Katya 9th 186 7 26.6 Judi & Graziano 10th 122 5 24.4 Robert & Dianne 11th 72 3 24.0 Ugo & Oti 12th 94 4 23.5 Greg & Karen 13th 92 23.0 Katie & Gorka 14th 67 3 22.3 Nina & Neil 15th 42 2 21.0
Weekly scores Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke.
Week 1 There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusic Tom & Amy 21 (4, 7, 5, 5) Cha-cha-cha "September" — Earth, Wind & Fire Tilly & Nikita 21 (5, 5, 6, 5) Waltz "Consequences" — Camila Cabello Ugo & Oti 18 (3, 5, 5, 5) Samba "Iko Iko (My Bestie)" — Justin Wellington, feat. Small Jam Rhys & Nancy 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) Viennese waltz "End of the Road" — Boyz II Men Sara & Aljaž 17 (3, 5, 5, 4) Cha-cha-cha "The Boss" — Diana Ross Dan & Nadiya 24 (5, 5, 7, 7) Quickstep "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" — The Blues Brothers Rose & Giovanni 22 (6, 6, 4, 6) Jive "Shake It Off" — Taylor Swift Katie & Gorka 22 (6, 5, 5, 6) Tango "Black Hole" — Griff Robert & Dianne 20 (6, 4, 4, 6) Cha-cha-cha "Rasputin" — Boney M. Greg & Karen 24 (6, 6, 5, 7) American Smooth "That's Life" — Frank Sinatra Nina & Neil 24 (5, 5, 7, 7) Samba "Mi Gente" — J Balvin & Willy William, feat. Beyoncé John & Johannes 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) Tango "Blue Monday" — New Order Judi & Graziano 24 (6, 6, 6, 6) American Smooth "Chain of Fools" — Aretha Franklin AJ & Kai 34 (8, 8, 9, 9) Jive "Gold Dust" — DJ Fresh Adam & Katya 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Beggin'" — Måneskin
Week 2 Musical guests: Tom Grennan — "Something Better" Griff — "One Night" After Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden tested positive for COVID-19, they were unable to perform on the live show. Under the rules of the show, he was granted a bye to the following week.
Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Rhys & Nancy 30 (7, 8, 8, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Reach Out I'll Be There" — Human Nature Safe Nina & Neil 18 (3, 5, 5, 5) Tango "Would I Lie to You?" — Eurythmics Eliminated Adam & Katya 19 (4, 5, 5, 5) Quickstep "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" — Jet Safe Katie & Gorka 21 (4, 6, 5, 6) Jive "Good 4 U" — Olivia Rodrigo Bottom two Greg & Karen 23 (3, 6, 7, 7) Couple's choice "If You Could Read My Mind" — Ultra Naté, Amber & Jocelyn Enriquez Safe John & Johannes 31 (8, 8, 8, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Starstruck" — Years & Years Safe AJ & Kai 31 (7, 9, 7, 8) Foxtrot "Tears Dry on Their Own" — Amy Winehouse Safe Judi & Graziano 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) Samba "Get Busy" — Sean Paul Safe Robert & Dianne 27 (7, 7, 6, 7) Tango "La cumparsita" — Machiko Ozawa Safe Rose & Giovanni 26 (6, 7, 6, 7) Salsa "Cuba" — Gibson Brothers Safe Sara & Aljaž 34 (8, 8, 9, 9) Foxtrot "Dream a Little Dream of Me" — Cass Elliot Safe Dan & Nadiya 26 (7, 6, 6, 7) Paso doble "Giant" — Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man Safe Ugo & Oti 25 (5, 7, 7, 6) Quickstep "Bring Me Sunshine" — The Jive Aces Safe Tilly & Nikita Charleston "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" — Firehouse Five Plus Two Safe Judges' votes to save Horwood: Katie & Gorka Mabuse: Katie & Gorka Du Beke: Nina & Neil Ballas: Katie & Gorka
Week 3: Movie Week Musical guest: Ben Platt — "You Will Be Found" (from Dear Evan Hansen)
Couples are listed in the order they performed.