Strictly Come Dancing returned for its twentieth series with a launch show on 23 September 2022 on BBC One, with live shows beginning the following day on 24 September. The launch show was originally scheduled to be broadcast on 17 September, but was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Rylan Clark and Janette Manrara returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.
In May 2022, the BBC announced that Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood would return to the judging panel. It was also confirmed that Bruno Tonioli, who had been absent from the two previous series due to travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, would be permanently leaving the show.
In August 2022, the BBC confirmed that the show would return to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the first time since the seventeenth series. It was also announced that there would be a special themed week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the BBC, with the couples dancing to "a theme tune from an iconic BBC programme or in tribute to one of the BBC's most loved services".
Wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał were announced as the winners on 17 December, while singer-songwriter Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Nova Jones actress Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu, and television presenter Helen Skelton and Gorka Márquez were the runners-up.
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 On 22 February 2022, it was announced that Oti Mabuse was leaving the series after seven years, and on 28 March 2022, that Aljaž Škorjanec was also leaving after nine years (He returned to the show in 2024). Three days after Škorjanec's departure, the BBC announced that the rest of the current professionals would be returning to the series.
In July 2022, the BBC announced that four new professional dancers would be joining the cast: European cup winner Vito Coppola, who was also a professional dancer on the Italian version of the show in 2021; Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu; former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley; and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas. Jowita Przystał received a celebrity partner for the first time, as did new professionals Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu; while Neil Jones, Cameron Lombard, Luba Mushtuk, Lauren Oakley, and Michelle Tsiakkas did not receive a partner.
Couples This series featured fifteen celebrity contestants. On 4 August 2022, the first two celebrities announced were Will Mellor and Kym Marsh. Celebrity contestants continued to be revealed until 13 August 2022, when the full line-up was announced. During the results show on 13 November, after initially being announced as one of the bottom two couples, Tony Adams and Katya Jones withdrew from the competition due to Adams having sustained a hamstring injury during their original performance. Celebrity Notability Professional partner Status Kaye Adams Loose Women panellist & journalist Kai Widdrington Eliminated 1ston 2 October 2022 Television & radio presenter Giovanni Pernice Eliminated 2ndon 9 October 2022 Matt Goss Singer-songwriter Nadiya Bychkova Eliminated 3rdon 16 October 2022 Jayde Adams Comedian & actress Karen Hauer Eliminated 4thon 23 October 2022 James Bye EastEnders actor Amy Dowden Eliminated 5thon 30 October 2022 Ellie Simmonds Paralympic swimmer Nikita Kuzmin Eliminated 6thon 6 November 2022 Tony Adams England footballer & manager Katya Jones Withdrewon 13 November 2022 Tyler West Kiss FM presenter Dianne Buswell Eliminated 7thon 20 November 2022 Ellie Taylor Comedian, actress & television presenter Johannes Radebe Eliminated 8thon 27 November 2022 Kym Marsh Actress, singer & Morning Live presenter Graziano Di Prima Eliminated 9thon 4 December 2022 Will Mellor Stage & screen actor Nancy Xu Eliminated 10thon 11 December 2022 Fleur East Singer-songwriter & radio presenter Vito Coppola Runners-upon 17 December 2022 Helen Skelton Television presenter Gorka Márquez Molly Rainford Nova Jones actress & singer Carlos Gu Hamza Yassin Wildlife cameraman & television presenter Jowita Przystał Winnerson 17 December 2022
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 20) – Weekly scores Couple Week 1 2 1+2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hamza & Jowita 1st 24 58 25 33 38 38 37 36 39+37= 39+34+40= Fleur & Vito2nd 29 28 57 29 38 32 32 35 35 38 35+39=74 40+39+40= Helen & Gorka 26 27 53 31 29 32 37 32 39 29 35+37=72 39+37+40=116 Molly & Carlos 31 34 35 30 33 35 37 35 35 38 36+39=75 39+37+39=115 Will & Nancy 5th 26 60 33 23 32 32 33 38 35 32+38= Kym & Graziano 6th 23 27 50 33 32 27 34 37 31 33 7th 28 23 51 21 30 29 22 31 Tyler & Dianne 8th 22 31 53 37 32 29 31 35 Tony & Katya 9th 26 31 Ellie S. & Nikita 10th 26 30 56 27 30 30 29 33 James & Amy 11th 22 24 46 22 32 26 Jayde & Karen 12th 23 26 49 29 31 28 Matt & Nadiya 13th 20 42 21 Richie & Giovanni 14th 23 32 55 27 Kaye & Kai 15th 21 43 Notes
Average chart This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 40-point scale. Couple Rank byaverage Totalpoints Number ofdances Totalaverage Fleur & Vito 1st 568 16 35.5 Molly & Carlos 2nd 567 35.4 Hamza & Jowita 3rd 566 Helen & Gorka 4th 544 34.0 Will & Nancy 5th 433 13 33.3 Tyler & Dianne 6th 290 9 32.2 Kym & Graziano 7th 311 10 31.1 Ellie S. & Nikita 8th 205 7 29.3 Ellie T. & Johannes 9th 275 10 27.5 Jayde & Karen 10th 137 5 27.4 Richie & Giovanni 11th 82 3 27.3 James & Amy 12th 153 6 25.5 Tony & Katya 13th 176 8 22.0 Kaye & Kai 14th 43 2 21.5 Matt & Nadiya 15th 83 4 20.8
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 carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusic Kym & Graziano 23 (4, 6, 6, 7) Jive "Yes" — Merry Clayton Tyler & Dianne 22 (4, 5, 7, 6) American Smooth "Falling" — Harry Styles Jayde & Karen 23 (4, 7, 6, 6) Samba "Dirrty" — Christina Aguilera, feat. Redman Kaye & Kai 21 (6, 5, 5, 5) Tango "Voulez-Vous" — ABBA James & Amy 22 (6, 5, 5, 6) Jive "What I Like About You" — The Romantics Richie & Giovanni 23 (5, 5, 6, 7) Cha-cha-cha "I'm Your Man" — Wham! Helen & Gorka 26 (6, 7, 6, 7) American Smooth "You Send Me" — Aretha Franklin Molly & Carlos 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Samba "Kiss My (Uh-Oh)" — Anne-Marie & Little Mix Matt & Nadiya 20 (5, 5, 5, 5) Quickstep "Sir Duke" — Stevie Wonder Ellie S. & Nikita 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) Cha-cha-cha "Dance" — DNCE Tony & Katya 15 (3, 4, 4, 4) Tango "Go West" — Village People Will & Nancy 34 (8, 9, 8, 9) Jive "Livin' la Vida Loca" — Ricky Martin Ellie T. & Johannes 28 (6, 7, 7, 8) Quickstep "I Am What I Am" — Klaus Hallen Tanzorchester Hamza & Jowita 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) Foxtrot "Islands in the Stream" — Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Fleur & Vito 29 (7, 7, 7, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Let's Get Loud" — Jennifer Lopez
Week 2 Musical guest: Robbie Williams — "She's the One"
Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Will & Nancy 26 (6, 7, 6, 7) Salsa "Never Too Much" — Luther Vandross Safe James & Amy 24 (5, 6, 6, 7) Tango "Bad Habits" — Ed Sheeran Safe Ellie S. & Nikita 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) Waltz "Can't Help Falling in Love" — Elvis Presley Safe Helen & Gorka 27 (5, 7, 7, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Rain on Me" — Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande Safe Tony & Katya 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) Charleston "My Old Man's a Dustman" — Foster and Allen Safe Ellie T. & Johannes 23 (4, 7, 5, 7) Paso doble "Les Toréadors" — Georges Bizet Safe Richie & Giovanni 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) Quickstep "Dancin' Fool" — Barry Manilow Safe Fleur & Vito 28 (7, 8, 6, 7) Viennese waltz "Glimpse of Us" — Joji Safe Kaye & Kai 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) Charleston "Music! Music! Music!" — Dorothy Provine Eliminated Hamza & Jowita 24 (4, 7, 6, 7) Jive "Blinding Lights" — the Weeknd Safe Kym & Graziano 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) Viennese waltz "Runaway" — The Corrs Safe Matt & Nadiya 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) Samba "Night Fever" — Bee Gees Bottom two Tyler & Dianne 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Jive "Hit the Road Jack" — Ray Charles Safe Jayde & Karen 26 (6, 7, 6, 7) Tango "Rumour Has It" — Adele Safe Molly & Carlos 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) Quickstep "Love On Top" — Beyoncé Safe Judges' votes to save Horwood: Matt & Nadiya Mabuse: Matt & Nadiya Du Beke: Matt & Nadiya Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Kaye & Kai
Week 3: Movie Week Musical guest: Adam Lambert — "Mad About the Boy"
Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicFilmResult Richie & Giovanni 27 (5, 7, 8, 7) Samba "Hakuna Matata" The Lion King Eliminated Molly & Carlos 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) Waltz "One Hand, One Heart" West Side Story Safe Kym & Graziano 33 (7, 9, 8, 9) Charleston "If My Friends Could See Me Now" Sweet Charity Safe Hamza & Jowita 25 (5, 7, 6, 7) Rumba "Welcome to Jurassic Park" Jurassic Park Safe Ellie T. & Johannes 21 (4, 6, 5, 6) Cha-cha-cha "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" Mermaids Safe Matt & Nadiya 21 (3, 6, 5, 7) Viennese waltz "Hold My Hand" Top Gun: Maverick Safe Tyler & Dianne Charleston "Flash, Bang, Wallop" Half a Sixpence Safe Fleur & Vito 29 (6, 8, 7, 8) American Smooth "Part of Your World" The Little Mermaid Bottom two James & Amy 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) Cha-cha-cha "Hooked on a Feeling" Guardians of the Galaxy Safe Ellie S. & Nikita 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) Quickstep "Peppy and George" The Artist Safe Will & Nancy 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) American Smooth "Cry to Me" Dirty Dancing Safe Tony & Katya 18 (2, 6, 4, 6) Samba "You Sexy Thing" The Full Monty Safe Helen & Gorka 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Viennese waltz "Hopelessly Devoted to You" Grease Safe Jayde & Karen 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Flashdance... What a Feeling" Flashdance Safe Judges' votes to save Horwood: Fleur & Vito Mabuse: Fleur & Vito Du Beke: Fleur & Vito Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Richie & Giovanni
Week 4 Musical guest: George Ezra — "Dance All Over Me"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.