Inside Strictly’s ratings collapse as scandal-hit show loses novelty, becomes predictable and ‘curse’ evaporates

IT’S been serving america sequins and sparkles for 2 decades, but Strictly Come Dancing appears to beryllium getting its steps wrong.

Ratings of 7.2million for Saturday night’s amusement whitethorn dependable respectable — and it was the astir watched programme astatine the weekend.  

But conscionable 4 years ago, the aforesaid occurrence was viewed by 9.8million connected the night.

That driblet of 2.6million represents a 4th of Strictly’s fans waltzing disconnected successful the past fewer years.

It was a akin communicative with the motorboat show, which saw the fig tuning successful autumn from 7.4million successful 2021 to 5.7million this twelvemonth — and a driblet of astir 1million connected the 2023 fig for the aforesaid episode.

At the time, the BBC said the show’s popularity present had to beryllium measured by the fig of radical watching unrecorded and connected catch-up done iPlayer.

But the 28-day viewing figures for the archetypal occurrence of the existent series, which were released yesterday, showed online ratings had besides dropped by astir 1million.

In different words, catch-up views hadn’t made a jot of difference.

So wherefore does the amusement — which this twelvemonth marks its 20th day — present consciousness jaded?

Online chatter suggests that the programme has simply mislaid its novelty factor, with the yearly line-ups becoming a acquainted premix — and outcomes feeling predictable.

Most viewers expect determination to beryllium an ageing footballer who falters adjacent the commencement of the series.

We saw ex-Arsenal ace Paul Merson spell retired connected Sunday, but others person included Tony Adams, who captained The Gunners done the Nineties, and erstwhile England goalie David James.

Then, of course, determination volition beryllium idiosyncratic with a little, oregon a lot, of nonrecreational creation acquisition — spot Tasha Ghouri and past year’s Layton Williams — who volition astir apt get to the final, but not win.

Invariably, the Glitterball volition beryllium taken location by an underdog soap seasoned oregon play histrion — Emmerdale’s Kelvin Fletcher, Coronation Street’s Ellie Leach oregon Holby City’s Joe McFadden helped acceptable that trend.

Either that oregon it goes to a athletics oregon quality presenter — deliberation Natasha Kaplinsky, Ore Oduba oregon Chris Hollins.

Strangely, it is politicians — evident examples being Ed Balls and Ann Widdecombe — who supply the biggest surprises.

And successful betwixt it each (let’s beryllium wholly honest) we anticipation and commune for the Strictly curse to deed 1 of the pro/celebrity couplings, conscionable to spice things up a bit.

Well, adjacent this tantalising imaginable has evaporated, due to the fact that there’s little accidental of immoderate romance down the scenes arsenic a effect of the BBC introducing chaperones successful rehearsals.

Whiff of sleaze

Which leads into different crushed wherefore Strictly could present beryllium struggling similar ne'er earlier — the lingering whiff of sleaze.

The mean buzz that surrounded the commencement of a caller bid was drowned retired by the ongoing probe into Giovanni Pernice’s alleged atrocious behaviour down the scenes towards his 2023 partner, Amanda Abbington.

That was made worse by footage surfacing of Graziano Di Prima kicking his celeb spouse Zara McDermott connected past year’s show. He was instantly axed.

If the thought that this impacted the ratings seems far-fetched, the figures tally to an eerie extent.

With the shadiness of Giovanni and Graziano hanging implicit the commencement of the caller series, the viewing figures remained debased until the study into Giovanni’s behaviour came retired connected September 30.

The BBC probe upheld immoderate of the complaints against the Italian dancer, but dismissed those which suggested determination was immoderate carnal abuse.

‘It could bounce back’

Almost immediately, the Strictly viewing figures seemed to rally, astir equalling the aforesaid arsenic shows which aired past year.

Then, connected the October 12 episode, came “Gropegate” — erstwhile opera vocalist Wynne Evans appeared to descent his manus crossed the tummy of his pro spouse Katya Jones, lone for her to region it successful afloat regard of the nationalist watching astatine home.

The duo instantly said atrocious for what they described arsenic “an wrong joke”, but the images dispersed similar wildfire crossed the net and they recovered themselves having to repeatedly explicate and apologise.

Bosses astatine the Beeb were furious, rapping Katya and Wynne implicit the knuckles for the benignant of behaviour that Strictly was trying to region itself from.

Saturday night’s occurrence didn’t conscionable driblet astir fractional a cardinal viewers successful the abstraction of a week, it was besides down by a cardinal connected the aforesaid occurrence past year.

So does this mean that each is mislaid for Strictly? Not quite.

Even if the amusement has mislaid its shine, determination are immoderate glimmers of hope.

Catch-up figures for week 1 — the archetypal unrecorded amusement of the bid — bespeak that 8.2million radical person watched it unrecorded and connected iPlayer successful conscionable 7 days.

After 28 days, that could good beryllium higher than the consolidated fig of 8.5million for past year’s unrecorded debut.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Strictly tin support that level of iPlayer occurrence until December.

But truthful far,  the figures overgarment a confusing picture.

Perhaps we conscionable person to get utilized to the information that Strictly volition 1 time cease to beryllium “appointment to view” telly, wherever groups of radical travel unneurotic to ticker a show.

Maybe we are going done a rocky modulation from unrecorded TV to streaming our amusement shows.

Meanwhile, if sleaze has played its part, past the Beeb has astatine slightest acted rapidly and firmly erstwhile it comes to Katya and Wynne, making it wide that this benignant of behaviour won’t beryllium tolerated.

The assorted scandals that person emerged implicit the past six months person made this the worst twelvemonth successful the show’s history, with galore believing that, from this constituent on, things tin lone get better.

And arsenic this bid approaches the halfway people adjacent week, it could inactive bounce back.

Only astatine this signifier are characters and backmost stories cemented successful the minds of viewers, and Strictly becomes much compulsive arsenic the last nudges ever closer.

The amusement is besides apt to person a boost erstwhile the celebratory 20th day occurrence airs aboriginal this year, reminding america each what a sensational thrust it has been since 2004.

A BBC spokesperson said of viewing figures: “Twenty-eight days is simply a benchmark to measurement show and bespeak changing assemblage habits successful an on-demand world.

“And arsenic we person said previously, overnight figures nary longer supply an close representation of each those watching. The motorboat amusement figures uncover the occurrence was watched by 7.2million radical crossed each devices.

“Looking astatine the week 1 show, it is already astatine 8.2million implicit 7 days, which is successful enactment with past year’s figures.”

So it seems the thrill of a Saturday nighttime ballroom whirl has not wholly worn disconnected for viewers.

But marque nary mistake, Strictly’s challenges could propulsion it disconnected tempo present much than ever.