Success for Strictly as viewing figures soar by 1,000,000 after launch night slump

Strictly Come Dancing’s archetypal unrecorded amusement dazzled its mode onto screens past night, with celebs and pros pulling it retired the container to present a drawstring of epic performances.

But that’s not each bosses person to celebrate, arsenic viewing figures person besides shown committedness aft an archetypal slump connected motorboat night.

Last night, the likes of Chris McCausland, Tasha Ghouri, Pete Wicks, Nick Knowles, Shayne Ward, and Sarah Hadland took to the dancefloor with their nonrecreational partners.

On manus to crockery retired scathing disapproval and the occasional glowing people were judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, with JLS prima JB Gill soaring to the apical of the leaderboard with a respectable 31 points.

But his concern with Amy isn’t the lone happening that soared connected Saturday, arsenic ratings person besides increased by an awesome 1 million from past weekend.

As confirmed to Metro.co.uk by the BBC, Strictly, which aired from 7pm until 9:30pm, averaged 6.4million viewers past night.

The amusement peaked astatine 6.6million.

Perhaps much impressively, it acquired a immense assemblage stock of 49.4%.

The figures are definite to emergence successful the coming days too, arsenic Strictly fanatics drawback up and re-watch via BBC iPlayer.

It comes aft astir a cardinal less viewers watched the 2024 Strictly motorboat amusement compared with 2023.

An mean of 5.5million viewers watched the BBC One programme connected September 14, arsenic the amusement returned amid a question of contention surrounding axed nonrecreational dancers who person been forced to deny allegations of misconduct successful training.

Worth noting, however, that these overnight figures person fluctuated implicit the years and an expanding fig of radical ticker on-demand, which is not accounted for successful the archetypal number.

An mean of 5.4million watched 2022’s launch, and the 2021 pre-recorded motorboat amusement drew successful 7 million.

As for the archetypal unrecorded amusement of 2023, portion it was down from 2022, overnight figures were inactive higher than those of this year.

Last autumn, 6.6million viewers, compared with 6.8 cardinal successful 2022 and 7.9million successful 2021, tuned successful to ticker the formed instrumentality their archetypal steps.

In quality that was surely a comfortableness to the people of 2024, determination was nary nationalist ballot this weekend, meaning everyone volition instrumentality to creation again adjacent weekend, wherever the judges’ scores volition beryllium combined and the dreaded dance-off cuts 1 couple’s Strictly travel short.

Following their archetypal dances, Love Islander Tasha is the caller blistery favourite, arsenic bookies foretell her for glitterball glory owed to impressing with her cha cha cha.

She and returning pro Aljaz Skorjanec were awarded 30 points by the panel, with Shirley telling Tasha: ‘You are connected your mode to having 1 of the astir spectacular limb actions I deliberation I’ve ever seen connected the show.’

Meanwhile, Toyah Willcox looks to beryllium successful trouble, having scored conscionable 12 points for her tango and landing bottommost of the leaderboard.

Joining her successful the information portion were Paul Merson and Towie’s Pete, some of whom scored 17 for their American creaseless and paso doble, respectively.

The prima of the night, however, was undoubtedly comedian Chris, who makes past arsenic the show’s first-ever unsighted contestant.

Paired with Aussie pro Dianne Buswell, the beloved Scouser nailed his cha cha cha to Twist And Shout, which was awarded 23 points.

Judge Anton said: ‘It was 1 of the astir bonzer things I’ve ever seen successful my full life.’

Shirley added: ‘I’m rather shocked and precise affectional – fabulous.’

Viewers person already taken the TV prima to their hearts and were keen to heap praise connected him erstwhile again arsenic Chris brushed disconnected critique from nonmigratory Mr Nasty Craig, telling him: ‘I’m excessively knackered to care, mate!’

‘I’ll thrust you location tonight,’ helium added with a smile.

He wasn’t the lone 1 clapping backmost astatine the sheet past nighttime either, arsenic podcaster Pete besides deed retired after his timing was slammed by Anton.

‘I’ve got nary rhythm, mate!’, Pete declared, leaving Strictly viewers to expect fireworks successful the coming weeks…

Strictly Come Dancing returns adjacent Saturday astatine 6:15pm connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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