Strictly Come Dancing is back for its first live show, after last week’s launch show saw all 15 celebrities coupled up.
Tonight, the stars will hit the dance floor with their new professional partners to perform in front of the judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke for the first time.
Who will top the leaderboard and who will fall to the bottom of the pack?
Follow our live blog as we build up to the show and then will follow all the twists and turns during the 150 minute episode.
Scroll down for all the latest updates and fan reactions.
That’s a wrap on the first Strictly live show
20:53 , Poppy Huggett
And that’s a wrap on the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
John Nellis and Katya Jones finished at the top of the leaderboard on 31 points after their Foxtrot.
There was no elimination tonight, with the judges’ scores carrying over into next week when the public vote gets under way.
And next Saturday brings Movie Week, with all 15 celebrities set to take on their own movie-inspired roles.
Thanks for following along with us tonight.
Final scores for week one
20:50 , Poppy Huggett
John Nellis and Katya Jones have finished the first Strictly live show at the top of the leaderboard after scoring 31 points for their Foxtrot.
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington are second on 29 points, while Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola sit third with 27.
The full leaderboard is:
- John Nellis and Katya Jones – 31
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – 29
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – 27
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – 26
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – 24
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – 22
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – 22
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – 21
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – 20
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – 20
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell – 18
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – 16
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – 15
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – 15
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec – 15
Strictly Movie Week twist revealed as all 15 stars get their own movie role
20:49 , Poppy Huggett
There’s no waiting around for the Strictly stars to get their movie moment this year.
Movie Week is coming up next Saturday, with all 15 celebrity couples set to take on routines inspired by the big screen.
The themed week has been moved forward to Week 2 this series, meaning every celebrity will get the chance to take part before the first elimination.
So expect plenty of movie magic, big costumes - and presumably some very dramatic choreography when Strictly returns next Saturday.
Delta Goodrem scores 29 points
20:46 , Poppy Huggett
Delta Goodrem has scored 29 points for her Samba with professional partner Kai Widdrington.
The judges were full of praise, with Motsi Mabuse saying the performance gave her “goosebumps”.
Shirley Ballas called it “what a way to close the show”, while Anton Du Beke said it was the best of the night.
Craig Revel Horwood told Delta: “You are one to watch.”
Her scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 7
- Motsi Mabuse: 8
- Shirley Ballas: 7
- Anton Du Beke: 7
That gives Delta an impressive 29 points, leaving her just two points behind John Nellis at the top of the leaderboard.
Delta Goodrem takes to the dance floor
20:41 , Poppy Huggett
And it’s time for the final dance of the night.
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington have taken to the Strictly dance floor, performing a Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques.
The Australian singer is rounding off the first live show of the series as all 15 couples compete for their first scores.
John Nellis scores 31 points
20:38 , Poppy Huggett
John Nellis has scored an impressive 31 points for his Foxtrot with professional partner Katya Jones.
His scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 7
- Motsi Mabuse: 8
- Shirley Ballas: 8
- Anton Du Beke: 8
That puts John top of the leaderboard, overtaking Lacey Turner’s previous high of 27 points.
John Nellis takes to the dance floor
20:34 , Poppy Huggett
Social media personality John Nellis took to the Strictly dance floor with professional partner Katya Jones.
The pair performed a Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren.
Dani Dyer scores 22 points
20:29 , Poppy Huggett
Dani Dyer has scored 22 points for her Samba with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin.
The Love Island star was visibly emotional after finally getting her chance to perform, telling Nikita: “I’m so happy” and adding: “I love Zara Larsson.”
Nikita said there were “so many emotions between both of us”, adding: “We waited a year for this and you deserve this, you deserve the world.”
Dani’s scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 6
- Motsi Mabuse: 5
- Shirley Ballas: 5
- Anton Du Beke: 6
That gives Dani 22 points for her first full Strictly performance.
Dani Dyer returns to the Strictly dance floor
20:21 , Poppy Huggett
Dani Dyer is finally getting her second chance on the Strictly dance floor.
The Love Island star was forced to withdraw from last year’s series after suffering an ankle injury just days into the competition.
She has reunited with Nikita Kuzmin for her return, with the pair now performing their first full routine together after their 2025 Strictly journey was cut short.
This time, Dani is dancing a Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson.
Jaime Winstone scores 21 points
20:20 , Poppy Huggett
Jaime Winstone has scored 21 points for her Tango with professional partner Carlos Gu.
Her scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 5
- Motsi Mabuse: 5
- Shirley Ballas: 5
- Anton Du Beke: 6
That gives Jaime an opening score of 21 points.
Jaime Winstone completes her first Strictly dance
20:14 , Poppy Huggett
Jaime Winstone has completed her first Strictly performance alongside professional partner Carlos Gu.
The actress took on a Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer as she made her live show debut.
Carlos is the reigning Strictly champion, having lifted the Glitterball with Karen Carney last year.
Graeme Hall scores 24 points
20:10 , Poppy Huggett
Graeme Hall has scored 24 points for his Cha Cha with professional partner Lauren Oakley.
His scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 6
- Motsi Mabuse: 6
- Shirley Ballas: 6
- Anton Du Beke: 6
That gives Graeme an opening score of 24 points, putting him just behind Bethany Antonia and Lacey Turner at the top of the leaderboard so far.
Lacey Turner leads as Strictly scores range from 15 to 27
20:03 , Poppy Huggett
Lacey Turner is currently sitting at the top of the Strictly leaderboard after scoring 27 points for her Cha Cha with Vito Coppola.
Bethany Antonia is just one point behind on 26, while Tabby Stoecker has 22 and Lawrence Robb has 20.
At the other end of the leaderboard, Dame Sarah Storey, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Melanie Walters are currently joint lowest on 15 points.
The scores so far are:
- Lacey Turner – 27
- Bethany Antonia – 26
- Tabby Stoecker – 22
- Lawrence Robb – 20
- Cach Mercer – 20
- Will Best – 18
- Chris Appleton – 16
- Dame Sarah Storey – 15
- Shaun Wright-Phillips – 15
- Melanie Walters – 15
There are still couples to perform tonight, so the leaderboard is likely to change before the end of the show.
Cach Mercer scores after first Strictly dance
20:01 , Poppy Huggett
Cach Mercer has scored 20 points for his Quickstep with professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby.
The Love Island winner danced to I Just Might by Bruno Mars for his first performance of the competition.
His scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 3
- Motsi Mabuse: 6
- Shirley Ballas: 5
- Anton Du Beke: 6
That gives Cach an opening score of 20 points.
Melanie Walters scores 15 points
19:51 , Poppy Huggett
Melanie Walters has completed her first Strictly performance, dancing the Cha Cha with professional partner Aljaž Škorjanec.
The Gavin & Stacey star danced to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee.
She received 15 points from the judges:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 2
- Motsi Mabuse: 4
- Shirley Ballas: 4
- Anton Du Beke: 5
Chris Appleton scores 16 points
19:41 , Poppy Huggett
Chris Appleton has completed his first Strictly performance, taking on a Tango with professional partner Amy Dowden.
The celebrity hairstylist danced to No Roots by Alice Merton, with his famous clients including Kim Kardashian cheering him on from afar.
He received 16 points from the judges:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 3
- Motsi Mabuse: 4
- Shirley Ballas: 4
- Anton Du Beke: 5
That puts Chris on 16 points after his first dance.
Strictly scores so far
19:33 , Poppy Huggett
Here’s how the leaderboard is looking so far tonight:
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – 27
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – 26
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – 22
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – 20
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell – 18
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – 15
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – 15
Lacey Turner scores 27 points
19:31 , Poppy Huggett
Lacey Turner has scored 27 points for her Cha Cha with professional partner Vito Coppola.
Her scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 7
- Motsi Mabuse: 6
- Shirley Ballas: 7
- Anton Du Beke: 7
That puts Lacey just one point ahead of Bethany Antonia, who currently has 26.
Lacey Turner takes to the dance floor
19:28 , Poppy Huggett
Former EastEnders star Lacey Turner is next to take to the Strictly dance floor, performing a Cha Cha with professional partner Vito Coppola.
She is dancing to Whitney Houston’s How Will I Know as she swaps Albert Square for the ballroom.
Lacey lives on a small farm with her husband Matt Kay and their three children, having previously described the countryside as her “happy place”.
Bethany is highest scorer so far
19:23 , Poppy Huggett
Bethany Antonia has moved to the top of the Strictly leaderboard so far tonight.
Her 26 points for her Quickstep with Nancy Xu puts her ahead of the other couples who have performed.
Craig praises Bethany Antonia
19:21 , Poppy Huggett
Craig Revel Horwood has praised Bethany Antonia following her first Strictly performance of the series.
The judge told the actress: “First bit of good dancing we’ve seen all night.”
It’s a strong verdict for Bethany, who performed her Quickstep with professional partner Nancy Xu.
Shaun Wright-Phillips scores 15 points
19:17 , Poppy Huggett
Shaun Wright-Phillips has scored 15 points for his Cha Cha with professional partner Alexis Warr.
The former England footballer danced to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell before hearing from the judges.
Shaun said: “I’m taking it all, bad and good.”
His scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 2
- Motsi Mabuse: 4
- Shirley Ballas: 4
- Anton Du Beke: 5
That gives Shaun an opening score of 15 points.
'You Are Made For Showbusiness'
19:17 , Poppy Huggett
Motsi Mabuse is full of praise for Will Best after his first performance.
She tells him: “You are made for showbusiness.”
A very promising start for Will, who has just opened the first live show of the series.
Will Best takes on the Samba
19:13 , Poppy Huggett
Will Best is first up on the Strictly dance floor, taking on a Samba with his professional partner Dianne Buswell.
The pair are dancing to Robbie Williams’ Rock DJ as Will makes his Strictly debut in front of the judges.
It’s a lively first routine for the TV presenter, who will be hoping to get the new series off to a strong start.
Lawrence Robb scores 20 points
19:05 , Poppy Huggett
Lawrence Robb has received 20 points for his Paso Doble with Jowita Przystał.
- Craig Revel Horwood: 4
- Motsi Mabuse: 5
- Shirley Ballas: 5
- Anton Du Beke: 6
That gives Lawrence an opening score of 20 points.
Lawrence Robb takes on the Paso Doble
18:58 , Poppy Huggett
Lawrence Robb is next to take to the Strictly dance floor, performing a Paso Doble with professional partner Jowita Przystał.The pair are dancing to Aperture by Harry Styles as Lawrence makes his Strictly debut.
Sarah Storey scores 15 points
18:54 , Poppy Huggett
Dame Sarah Storey has received her first Strictly score after performing her Quickstep with Julian Caillon.
She scored 15 points in total.
- Craig Revel Horwood: 3
- Motsi Mabuse: 4
- Shirley Ballas: 4
- Anton Du Beke: 4
That gives Sarah an opening score of 15 points.
Tabby Stoecker scores 22 points
18:45 , Poppy Huggett
Tabby Stoecker has scored 22 points for her first Strictly performance with Mark Karmalita.
Shirley Ballas told Tabby: “I see something in you.”
Her scores were:
- Craig Revel Horwood: 4
- Motsi Mabuse: 6
- Shirley Ballas: 5
- Anton Du Beke: 7
That puts Tabby on 22 points from the judges.
Tabby Stoecker takes to the dance floor
18:38 , Poppy Huggett
Olympic champion is now on the Strictly dance floor, taking on her first routine alongside professional partner Mark Karmalita.
The skeleton racer is performing a Jive to Animal by KATSEYE as she makes her Strictly debut.
Will Best scores 18 points
18:35 , Poppy Huggett
Will Best has received a total of 18 points for his Samba with Dianne Buswell.
- Craig Revel Horwood: 4
- Motsi Mabuse: 5
- Shirley Ballas: 4
- Anton Du Beke: 5
That gives Will an opening score of 18 points as the first celebrity to dance in tonight’s live show.
‘You are made for showbusiness’
18:33 , Poppy Huggett
Motsi Mabuse is full of praise for Will Best after his first performance.
She tells him: “You are made for showbusiness.”
A very promising start for Will, who has just opened the first live show of the series.
Will Best takes on the Samba
18:27 , Poppy Huggett
Will Best is first up on the Strictly dance floor, taking on a Samba with his professional partner Dianne Buswell.
The pair are dancing to Robbie Williams’ Rock DJ as Will makes his Strictly debut in front of the judges.
It’s a lively first routine for the TV presenter, who will be hoping to get the new series off to a strong start.
Presenters take to the stage
18:21 , Poppy Huggett
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have taken to the stage for their first live Strictly show.
The trio are the new presenting team following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of last year.
Rather than directly stepping into Tess and Claudia’s old roles, the new hosts will share presenting duties across the show as Strictly enters a new era.
Strictly opens with Joy
18:19 , Poppy Huggett
And we’re off! The Strictly professionals and hosts have kicked off tonight’s first live show with an energetic opening number set to an orchestral cover of RAYE’s Joy.
The dancers are already filling the ballroom as we get our first proper taste of the live shows this series.
We’re live!
18:16 , Poppy Huggett
And we’re off! Strictly Come Dancing is officially live for the first time this series, with all 15 celebrity couples ready to take to the ballroom.
The judges are in position, the paddles are at the ready and the first scores of the series are coming our way.
Let’s dance...
New Strictly spin-off to launch next week
18:08 , Poppy Huggett
The BBC has announced a new Strictly Come Dancing spin-off hosted by former contestant Tyler West and comedian Abi Clarke.
Strictly: Lights Up will air exclusively on BBC iPlayer every Sunday after the results show, bringing fans immediate reactions from the eliminated couple, judges, hosts and other Strictly stars.
The show won’t start this week, with the first episode landing on Sunday, October 4, following the first results show of the series.
The BBC is also launching a dedicated Strictly hub on iPlayer, featuring training room episodes, weekly highlights and individual dances from the series.
What songs are the Strictly couples dancing to tonight?
18:04 , Poppy Huggett
Here’s what the 15 couples will be dancing to tonight:
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – Stop This Flame by Celeste
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – Lush Life by Zara Larsson
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – Baianá by Barbatuques
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – I Feel Love by Donna Summer
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – Animal by KATSEYE
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – I Just Might by Bruno Mars
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – No Roots by Alice Merton
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – Hound Dog by Smokey Joe’s Café
- John Nellis and Katya Jones – Ordinary by Alex Warren
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – Aperture by Harry Styles
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell – Rock DJ by Robbie Williams
Is there an elimination tonight?
17:56 , Poppy Huggett
There’s no need for the celebrities to worry about the dreaded dance-off just yet.
Nobody will be eliminated tonight, with all 15 couples guaranteed a place in next week’s show. The judges will still award their first scores of the series, but there will be no public vote or elimination in week one.
Those scores will be carried over into next week, when viewers will get their first chance to vote and the first celebrity will leave the competition.
Fans settle in for tonight’s episode
17:48 , Poppy Huggett
It looks like Strictly fans are getting themselves settled in for tonight’s first live show.
Ollie shared a glimpse of his preparations on X, telling followers he had been baking and was now settling in to watch the ballroom action.
With all 15 couples preparing to take to the floor for the first time, fans have plenty to look forward to as the competition officially gets under way.
And if the pre-show excitement is anything to go by, viewers are already getting into the Strictly spirit.
The ballroom is calling...
guys… today’s been SO much fun… and it’s going to get even BETTER tonight!!!
— Ollie 🫶 (@ollieollieGA) September 26, 2026
i’ve been baking… and now i’m waiting for #Strictly 🪩🪩🪩 (i’m decorating the rest tomorrow babes x) pic.twitter.com/tZf8p5CIdn
Who is dancing tonight?
17:40 , Poppy Huggett
All 15 celebrity couples will be taking to the ballroom floor tonight for their first live performances of the series.
Here’s who you can expect to see dancing:
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – Quickstep
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – Quickstep
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – Tango
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – Samba
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – Samba
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – Cha Cha
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – Tango
- John Nellis and Katya Jones – Foxtrot
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – Cha Cha
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – Paso Doble
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec – Cha Cha
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – Quickstep
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – Cha Cha
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – Jive
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell – Samba
How long is tonight's episode?
17:15 , Poppy Huggett
Settle in, because tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing is a bumper one.
The first live show of the series will run for 150 minutes, getting underway at 6.15pm on BBC One and continuing until around 8.45pm.
That should give us plenty of time for 15 celebrity couples, their first scores of the series and a professional group number.
First live show is almost here
17:01 , Holly Bishop
The first live show is almost upon us, and that means we get to see our 15 celebrities hit the dance floor for the first time with their partners.
Tonight’s show is a whopping 150 minutes as we see all of our stars perform live for the first time.
Remember, there is no elimination this week, so just sit back and enjoy the magic and we’re treated to 15 different couple dances, as well as a show-stopping professional group number.
