Strictly hit with fresh blow as first live show viewing figures plummet to LOWEST of all time following scandals

STRICTLY bosses are fretting aft the lowest viewing figures for the archetypal unrecorded amusement of a bid since it began.

A highest of 6.7 million fans watched connected Saturday — down from 7.3 million past twelvemonth and a precocious of 10.2million successful 2020.

The stroke followed mediocre ratings — down a cardinal successful a twelvemonth — arsenic the personage pairings were revealed successful the erstwhile week’s motorboat show.

A TV insider said: “Strictly bosses were disquieted capable by the pre-recorded motorboat show.

“But the information that the archetypal unrecorded amusement saw a driblet excessively volition beryllium of interest to them — peculiarly if the driblet continues into adjacent week, which is the archetypal elimination show.

“They present look an anxious hold to spot whether the driblet successful on-the-night viewers is made up for by an summation successful fans watching Strictly connected iPlayer, but those figures instrumentality days and weeks to compile.

“These unrecorded figures truly substance to the Beeb, due to the fact that Strictly is inactive seen arsenic 1 of the fewer shows that supply the shared TV acquisition wherever radical travel unneurotic to ticker a programme astatine a acceptable time.”

Strictly has been deed by caller problems, including alleged atrocious behaviour down the scenes by pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima.

But Saturday’s amusement saw Love Island prima Tasha Ghouri dazzle connected the dancefloor with pro spouse Aljaz Skorjanec — finishing associated 2nd with Miranda histrion Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola.

Putting successful the performances

JLS prima JB Gill topped the scoreboard aft bagging 30 points with pro spouse Amy Dowden, returning to the amusement aft attraction for breast cancer.

In associated 3rd spot with 26 points were Go Compare advertisement vocalist Wynne Evans with Katya Jones, positive Montell Douglas — aka Gladiators’ Fire — with pro spouse Johannes Radebe.

Another outstanding performances came from unsighted comedian Chris McCausland, whose regular with Diane Buswell received 23 points.

Bookies Ladbrokes slashed his likelihood from 14/1 past week to 7/2.

One instrumentality wrote connected X/Twitter: “I sincerely anticipation this doesn’t travel crossed arsenic patronising, but I cried each the mode done Chris McCausland’s routine.

“He has ne'er seen immoderate of the dances oregon the colours of Strictly, but helium brought truthful overmuch joyousness & spirit, and that for maine is what it’s each about.”

Another agreed: “I cognize the judges person to beryllium arsenic nonsubjective arsenic imaginable but what we conscionable ­witnessed Chris McCausland bash was simply incredible.”

A 3rd predicted Chris and Diane would assistance the Glitterball trophy, adding: “Chris McCausland is simply a nationalist treasure successful waiting.”

Meanwhile big Claudia Winkleman besides drew plentifulness of comments for wearing a agelong gown that had viewers comparing her to Princess Leia successful the Star Wars movies.

One idiosyncratic joked online: “She’s conscionable missing the Chelsea buns connected the broadside of her head.”

Last nighttime the BBC pointed retired Strictly was inactive the astir watched amusement connected TV connected Saturday night.

A spokesperson went on: “Overnights nary longer supply an close representation of each those who ticker successful an on-demand world.”

The BBC precocious said the fig of radical utilizing its catch-up work was expanding by 11 per cent a year.

An Ofcom study this twelvemonth showed that the fig of young radical watching TV successful the accepted mode had fallen from 76 per cent to 48 per cent successful the past six years.