Strictly Come Dancing 2026 week 1 live show overnight ratings revealed as new era gets off to quieter start

The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 averaged 4.8 million viewers on BBC One, according to overnight figures, marking a quieter start for the series under its new hosts.

Saturday marked the first live show of the 2026 series with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe at the helm. The show - which featured performances from all 15 celebrities - peaked at 5 million viewers across the two-and-a-half-hour programme.

The figure shows a dip on 2025, when the equivalent live show drew an average of 6.2 million. It is also the first time since 2019 that Strictly's first live show has been watched by fewer viewers than its launch episode.

However, Saturday's live show faced tougher competition than usual, with ITV1 airing the UEFA Nations League match between England and Spain in the same slot.

A Strictly spokesperson said: "Strictly was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of five million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world". Saturday's edition currently holds the top spot on the most popular iPlayer chart."

The overnights follow last week's launch show, which registered a peak of 5.8 million viewers alongside an average of 5.3 million.

The live show was the first for Willis, Widdicombe and Radebe following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The new trio divided hosting duties, with Willis and Widdicombe standing by the judges' table while Radebe met contestants on the balcony before scores were revealed.

On the floor, social media star John Nellis topped the leaderboard with partner Katya Jones, scoring 31 for a foxtrot to Alex Warren's Ordinary. Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas hailed it as the best dance of the night, while Craig Revel Horwood called it "classy, elegant and graceful".

Australian singer Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington followed closely with 29 points for a samba to Baiana by Barbatuques.

Three couples finished tied at the bottom on 15 points: Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters with Aljaž Škorjanec, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips with Alexis Warr, and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey with Julian Caillon.

The opening show contained no public vote or elimination, with the scores being rolled over to this weekend.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 3 October at 6:15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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Authors

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.