Strictly Come Dancing series 18


Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eighteenth series with a launch show on 17 October 2020 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 24 October. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series launched a month later than usual and ran for only nine weeks instead of the usual thirteen. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Clark-Neal was replaced by Gethin Jones for four shows after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.
On 12 September, it was announced that for the first time since the tenth series, there would be no live show broadcast from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom due to the pandemic. However, it was announced shortly afterwards that there would be four episodes highlighting the best moments from previous series. The final episode featured a tribute to 2014 winner Caroline Flack, who had died on 15 February that year.
Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse returned to the judging panel. On 21 August 2020, it was announced that Bruno Tonioli could not be part of the judging panel for this series due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and his role on Dancing with the Stars. Tonioli instead appeared virtually to give his critiques on the performances during the Sunday night results show. Motsi Mabuse had to miss weeks 4 and 5 in accordance with British government guidelines after travelling to Germany due to a break-in at her dance academy; she was replaced by professional dancer Anton Du Beke, who had previously been eliminated from the competition alongside Jacqui Smith. Du Beke became a permanent judge from the nineteenth series.
Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse were announced as the winners on 19 December, while HRVY and Janette Manrara, Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer, and Maisie Smith and Gorka Márquez were the runners-up.

Format

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points. The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.
The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Shirley Ballas, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.

Professional dancers

On 6 March 2020, Kevin Clifton announced he was leaving the show after seven years. Despite being confirmed in the 2020 professional line-up, on 26 March 2020, AJ Pritchard announced he was leaving the show after four years. The other professional dancers from 2019 were all confirmed to be returning for the series. Neil Jones and Nadiya Bychkova only featured in group dances after having partners the previous year, alongside Graziano Di Prima and Nancy Xu.
Due to the pandemic, several changes had to be made in how the professional dancers performed. Firstly, the dancers had to shield at home for two weeks. They then formed a bubble which allowed them to stay in a hotel, where they could practise their routines. All of the group dances were pre-recorded.

Couples

This series featured twelve celebrity contestants. On 1 September 2020, the first three celebrities announced were Caroline Quentin, Jason Bell, and Max George. On 2 September 2020, it was announced that Olympic boxer Nicola Adams would be part of the first same-sex partnership. On 3 September 2020, Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing was confirmed to be participating in the series after having to withdraw from the seventeenth series due to a foot injury. Celebrity reveals continued throughout the week until the full line-up was revealed on 4 September 2020. On 12 November 2020, it was announced that Katya Jones had tested positive for COVID-19, which meant that she and Nicola Adams had to withdraw from the competition due to the government's guidelines on self-isolation.
CelebrityNotabilityProfessional partnerStatus
Jacqui SmithLabour Party politicianAnton Du BekeEliminated 1st
on 1 November 2020
Jason BellNFL player & punditLuba MushtukEliminated 2nd
on 8 November 2020
Nicola AdamsOlympic boxerKatya JonesWithdrew
on 12 November 2020
Max GeorgeThe Wanted singerDianne BuswellEliminated 3rd
on 15 November 2020
Actress & television presenterJohannes RadebeEliminated 4th
on 22 November 2020
Clara AmfoBBC Radio 1 presenterAljaž ŠkorjanecEliminated 5th
on 29 November 2020
JJ ChalmersTelevision presenter & Invictus Games medallistAmy DowdenEliminated 6th
on 6 December 2020
Ranvir SinghGood Morning Britain presenter & journalistGiovanni PerniceEliminated 7th
on 13 December 2020
HRVYSinger & television presenterJanette ManraraRunners-up
on 19 December 2020
Jamie LaingMade in Chelsea starKaren HauerRunners-up
on 19 December 2020
Maisie SmithEastEnders actressGorka MárquezRunners-up
on 19 December 2020
Bill BaileyComedian, musician & actorOti MabuseWinners
on 19 December 2020

Scoring chart

The highest score each week is indicated in with a dagger, while the lowest score each week is indicated in with a double-dagger.
Color key:
;Notes

Average chart

This table only counts for dances scored on a 30-point scale.
CoupleRank by
average		Total
points		Number of
dances		Total
average
Maisie & Gorka1st3281227.3
HRVY & Janette2nd3231226.9
Bill & Oti3rd3011225.1
Jamie & Karen4th2881224.0
Ranvir & Giovanni5th211923.4
Caroline & Johannes6th109521.8
Nicola & Katya7th64321.3
JJ & Amy8th147721.0
Max & Dianne9th81420.3
Clara & Aljaž10th121620.2
Jason & Luba11th46315.3
Jacqui & Anton12th25212.5

Weekly scores

Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges' scores in the charts below are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse.

Week 1

There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusic
Jamie & Karen14 Cha-cha-cha"Think About Things" — Daði og Gagnamagnið
Caroline & Johannes21 American Smooth"Morning Train " — Sheena Easton
Max & Dianne17 Tango"Best Fake Smile" — James Bay
Clara & Aljaž18 Cha-cha-cha"Don't Start Now" — Dua Lipa
Jacqui & Anton13 Foxtrot"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" — Monty Python
JJ & Amy19 Waltz"What a Wonderful World" — Louis Armstrong
Maisie & Gorka24 Samba"Samba " — Gloria Estefan
Jason & Luba16 American Smooth"My Girl" — The Temptations
Ranvir & Giovanni21 Paso doble"End of Time" — Beyoncé
Nicola & Katya21 Quickstep"Get Happy" — Ella Fitzgerald
Bill & Oti15 Cha-cha-cha"Pata Pata" — Miriam Makeba
HRVY & Janette25 Jive"Faith" — Stevie Wonder, feat. Ariana Grande

Week 2

Musical guest: Sam Smith — "Diamonds"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Max & Dianne20 Jive"I'm a Believer" — The MonkeesSafe
Clara & Aljaž17 Viennese waltz"You Don't Own Me" — SayGraceSafe
Bill & Oti24 Quickstep"Talk to the Animals" — Bobby DarinSafe
JJ & Amy17 Paso doble"Believer" — Imagine DragonsSafe
Jamie & Karen17 American Smooth"Night and Day" — Frank SinatraBottom two
Maisie & Gorka25 Tango"Midnight Sky" — Miley CyrusSafe
Jacqui & Anton12 Samba"Help Yourself" — Tom JonesEliminated
HRVY & Janette24 Viennese waltz"Stuck with U" — Ariana Grande & Justin BieberSafe
Ranvir & Giovanni21 Quickstep"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" — Stevie WonderSafe
Nicola & Katya24 Street/Commercial"Shine" — Years & YearsSafe
Caroline & Johannes21 Paso doble"El gato montés" — Ramon Cortez Pasodoble OrchestraSafe
Jason & Luba18 Salsa"Get Lucky" — Daft Punk, feat. Pharrell WilliamsSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Horwood: Jamie & Karen
  • Mabuse: Jamie & Karen
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamie & Karen''