Strictly Come Dancing judges stage biggest-ever number for live return

Strictly Come Dancing returned to BBC on Saturday with a show-opening described as the judges' biggest-ever number. The quartet — Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke — are set to dance through the decades beginning in the 1970s, The Mirror reports.

In a sequence described as a four-and-a-half-minute trip through time, Craig is slated to wear four costumes as his compere and DJ character, including a pink frilly shirt for one look. Shirley is expected to appear with dramatic volumised hair for a Copacabana-style 80s routine. Motsi is planned to perform a sexy 1990s rumba, while Anton returns to the era with classic lines and tailcoats.

A source told The Mirror that Craig will provide running commentary through the decades as he completes the astonifying costume changes, ending in the present day. The same informant suggested the moment may be one of the last times viewers see him smile for several weeks as the series progresses.

Backstage, the four judges will be joined by professional dancers Dianne Buswell, Neil Jones and Karen Hauer, who are set to sing as backing performers. The performance is reportedly pre-recorded and billed as bigger and more fun than previous openings.

Amber Davies has been drafted in to replace Dani Dyer after the latter fractured her ankle in rehearsal. The Love Island alum, 28, is a trained West End performer with a Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre and Dance. She trained at the Urdang Academy and previously worked as a dancer at Cirque Le Soir. Davies will make her Strictly debut on Saturday night, dancing with Nikita Kuzmin. Davies’s appointment has prompted mixed reactions among fans, some of whom question whether her prior dance credits will count against her in the new lineup.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC on Saturday at 6:55 p.m.