Strictly Come Dancing launch show ratings revealed as scandal-plagued series returns
Overnight ratings for the 2025 launch match last year’s figures as controversy swirls around the BBC competition and its cast.
The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing returned on Saturday with its 2025 launch episode drawing an average of 5.4 million viewers and peaking at 5.6 million, according to overnight figures. The 90-minute pre-recorded show introduced the season’s 15 contestants and their pro partners ahead of a group-dance routine. The audience size was four million more than any other program in the same time slot. The figures come despite a run of headlines surrounding the show, including bullying claims, a drug probe and this year's high-profile affair scandal involving contestant Thomas Skinner.
Rising scrutiny has accompanied the launch, with coverage outlining bullying allegations at the show, a drug investigation linked to the production and ongoing questions about recent contestant behavior. The pre-recorded episode shows the celebrities meeting their pro partners for the first time before performing the opening group routine, underscoring how the new season opens amid controversy.
A BBC spokesperson noted that overnight figures do not capture on-demand viewing and that Strictly attracts a large audience on BBC iPlayer, with last year accounting for about a fifth of the audience.
Thomas Skinner, a reality star and entrepreneur known for his appearance on The Apprentice, has been at the center of headlines after acknowledging a collapse in his personal life a few weeks after his wedding and admitting a cheating incident. He is paired with Amy Dowden, who is making a return to Strictly after health setbacks, including a grade three breast cancer diagnosis in May 2023. Dowden is returning to the show after a long hiatus to manage her health and rehabilitation.
Skinner's personal history has triggered discussion on social media and in some media circles. Reports have highlighted a relationship he described as a two week fling shortly after his wedding, with later claims of a longer involvement with a so-called secret mistress. The pairing with Dowden has been met with mixed reactions from fans, who expressed disappointment about the professional matchup given Dowden’s return.
BBC News presenter Peter Levy also weighed in on the pairing on social media, saying he was disappointed with the decision to pair Skinner with Dowden and that he would focus on presenting and not engage in the online fray. Levy later posted that he would stick to the autocue while Skinner said he would work hard to learn the cha-cha and not let Dowden down.
Fans responded with a blend of sympathy for Dowden and concern about Skinner carrying the show through the season. Comments urged the pairing to deliver a strong performance despite the off-screen headlines. Viewers argued that Dowden deserves a strong partner back in the ballroom and that the show should be judged by the performances rather than off-screen controversies.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2025 lineup includes Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal, La Voix, Thomas Skinner, Vicky Pattison, Karen Carney, George Clark, Dani Dyer, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ellie Goldstein, Chris Robshaw, Stefan Dennis, Ross King and Lewis Cope.
With the show returning amid controversy, BBC executives say the competition remains a cultural fixture and a key part of the network’s Saturday-night lineup.