Strictly Come Dancing series 16


Strictly Come Dancing returned for its sixteenth series with a launch show on 8 September 2018 on BBC One, and the first live show on 22 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Shirley Ballas, Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges. On 20 October, actor Alfonso Ribeiro stood in as a guest judge to cover for Tonioli.
In this series, three new dance styles were introduced — contemporary, theatre/jazz, and street/commercial — as part of a new category called "couple's choice".
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton were announced as the winners on 15 December 2018, while Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell, Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice, and Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev were the runners-up.
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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 30 May 2018, the list of professionals returning for the sixteenth series was revealed. Professionals from the last series who did not return included Brendan Cole and Chloe Hewitt. Graziano Di Prima, Luba Mushtuk, and Johannes Radebe replaced them. Mushtuk and Radebe did not have celebrity partners; however, Di Prima did.

Couples

This series featured fifteen celebrity contestants. On 13 August 2018, the first three celebrities announced to be participating in the series were Katie Piper, Faye Tozer, and Danny John-Jules. Celebrity reveals continued across that month before concluding on 21 August on Good Morning Britain.
CelebrityNotabilityProfessional partnerStatus
Television presenter & fashion journalistAnton Du BekeEliminated 1st
Lee RyanBlue singer & EastEnders actorNadiya BychkovaEliminated 2nd
on 7 October 2018
Katie PiperPhilanthropist & television presenterGorka MárquezEliminated 3rd
on 14 October 2018
Vick HopeCapital FM presenterGraziano Di PrimaEliminated 4th
on 21 October 2018
Seann WalshStand-up comedianKatya JonesEliminated 5th
on 28 October 2018
Dr. Ranj SinghThis Morning presenter & authorJanette ManraraEliminated 6th
on 4 November 2018
Danny John-JulesStage & screen actorAmy DowdenEliminated 7th
on 11 November 2018
Kate SilvertonBBC News presenter & journalistAljaž ŠkorjanecEliminated 8th
on 18 November 2018
Graeme SwannEngland cricketerOti MabuseEliminated 9th
on 25 November 2018
Charles VennCasualty actorKaren CliftonEliminated 10th
on 2 December 2018
Lauren SteadmanParalympic swimmer & paratriathleteAJ PritchardEliminated 11th
on 9 December 2018
Ashley RobertsThe Pussycat Dolls singerPasha KovalevRunners-up
on 15 December 2018
Faye TozerSteps singerGiovanni PerniceRunners-up
on 15 December 2018
Joe SuggYouTube personalityDianne BuswellRunners-up
on 15 December 2018
Stacey DooleyInvestigative journalistKevin CliftonWinners
on 15 December 2018

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 traditional 40-point scale.
CoupleRank by
average		Total
points		Number of
dances		Total
average
Ashley & Pasha1st5911636.9
Faye & Giovanni2nd5841636.5
Stacey & Kevin3rd5441634.0
Joe & Dianne4th5241632.8
Charles & Karen5th3271129.7
Danny & Amy6th226828.3
Lauren & AJ7th3471326.7
Graeme & Oti8th2601026.0
Kate & Aljaž9th225925.0
Dr. Ranj & Janette10th170724.3
Vick & Graziano11th121524.2
Seann & Katya12th135622.5
Lee & Nadiya13th67322.3
Katie & Gorka14th70417.5
Susannah & Anton15th24212.0

Weekly scores

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

Week 1

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusic
Danny & Amy27 Foxtrot"Top Cat Theme" — Hoyt Curtin
Kate & Aljaž20 Cha-cha-cha"Kiss" — Art of Noise, feat. Tom Jones
Lauren & AJ25 Waltz"Kissing You" — Des'ree
Seann & Katya18 Tango"SexyBack" — Justin Timberlake
Vick & Graziano18 Jive"Feel It Still" — Portugal. The Man
Susannah & Anton12 Samba"Tico Tico" — Carmen Miranda
Charles & Karen25 Cha-cha-cha"Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" — Sub Sub, feat. Melanie Williams
Ashley & Pasha29 Viennese waltz"Perfect" — Ed Sheeran, feat. Beyoncé
Dr. Ranj & Janette27 Cha-cha-cha"How Will I Know" — Whitney Houston
Katie & Gorka17 Waltz"When We Were Young" — Adele
Graeme & Oti22 Samba"Soul Limbo" — Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Stacey & Kevin24 Quickstep"Dancing" — Kylie Minogue
Lee & Nadiya22 Waltz"Take It to the Limit" — Eagles
Joe & Dianne27 Jive"Take On Me" — A-ha
Faye & Giovanni29 Cha-cha-cha"Lullaby" — Sigala & Paloma Faith

Week 2

Musical guest: George Ezra — "Shotgun"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Stacey & Kevin20 Cha-cha-cha"Came Here for Love" — Sigala & Ella EyreSafe
Charles & Karen25 Quickstep"Sir Duke" — Stevie WonderSafe
Katie & Gorka13 Paso doble"Confident" — Demi LovatoSafe
Graeme & Oti15 American Smooth"Try a Little Tenderness" — Otis ReddingSafe
Kate & Aljaž27 Tango"No Roots" — Alice MertonSafe
Joe & Dianne31 Charleston"Cotton Eye Joe" — RednexSafe
Susannah & Anton12 Foxtrot"They Can't Take That Away from Me" — Frank Sinatra & Natalie ColeEliminated
Lee & Nadiya26 Jive"Blue Suede Shoes" — Elvis PresleyBottom two
Danny & Amy28 Cha-cha-cha"Beggin'" — MadconSafe
Vick & Graziano27 Waltz"Somewhere" — from West Side StorySafe
Dr. Ranj & Janette24 Salsa"Fireball" — Pitbull, feat. John RyanSafe
Faye & Giovanni31 Viennese waltz"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" — SealSafe
Lauren & AJ22 Charleston"New Rules" — Postmodern JukeboxSafe
Seann & Katya15 Jive"I'm Still Standing" — Elton JohnSafe
Ashley & PashaCha-cha-cha"Boogie Wonderland" — Earth, Wind & Fire with The EmotionsSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Lee & Nadiya
  • Bussell: Lee & Nadiya
  • Tonioli: Lee & Nadiya
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Lee & Nadiya''

Week 3: Movie Week

Musical guest: Gladys Knight — "Licence to Kill"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicFilmResult
Vick & Graziano27 Salsa"Take a Chance on Me"Mamma Mia!Safe
Dr. Ranj & Janette20 Quickstep"Prince Ali"AladdinSafe
Lee & Nadiya19 Cha-cha-cha"The Power of Love"Back to the FutureEliminated
Kate & Aljaž29 Foxtrot"Why Don't You Do Right?"Who Framed Roger RabbitSafe
Stacey & Kevin32 Jive"Happy"Despicable Me 2Safe
Joe & Dianne26 American Smooth"Breaking Free"High School MusicalSafe
Graeme & Oti31 Charleston"Spider-Man Theme"Spider-ManSafe
Ashley & Pasha35 Salsa"(I've Had) The Time of My Life"Dirty DancingSafe
Katie & Gorka22 Foxtrot"City of Stars"La La LandSafe
Seann & Katya30 Paso doble"Clubbed to Death"The MatrixSafe
Lauren & AJ20 Cha-cha-cha"Fame"FameSafe
Charles & Karen25 American Smooth"Up Where We Belong"An Officer and a GentlemanBottom two
Faye & Giovanni36 Quickstep"You're the One That I Want"GreaseSafe
Danny & Amy28 Paso doble"The Greatest Show"The Greatest ShowmanSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Charles & Karen
  • Bussell: Charles & Karen
  • Tonioli: Charles & Karen
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Lee & Nadiya''

Week 4

Musical guests: Backstreet Boys — "Larger than Life", "I Want It That Way" & "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Joe & Dianne26 Cha-cha-cha"Just Got Paid" — Sigala, Ella Eyre & Meghan Trainor, feat. French MontanaSafe
Vick & Graziano29 Quickstep"You Can't Hurry Love" — The SupremesSafe
Danny & Amy27 Viennese waltz"I've Gotta Be Me" — Sammy Davis Jr.Safe
Faye & Giovanni29 Rumba"Chandelier" — SiaSafe
Katie & Gorka18 Jive"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" — Frankie Lymon & The TeenagersEliminated
Charles & Karen25 Salsa"Use It Up and Wear It Out" — OdysseyBottom two
Lauren & AJ25 Quickstep"If You're Over Me" — Years & YearsSafe
Dr. Ranj & Janette27 Paso doble"Canción del Mariachi" — Los LobosSafe
Kate & Aljaž20 Samba"Africa" — TotoSafe
Graeme & Oti26 Jive"Don't Stop Me Now" — QueenSafe
Ashley & Pasha32 Tango"Look What You Made Me Do" — Taylor SwiftSafe
Seann & Katya28 Charleston"Bills" — LunchMoney LewisSafe
Stacey & KevinFoxtrot"Hi Ho Silver Lining" — Jeff BeckSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Charles & Karen
  • Bussell: Charles & Karen
  • Tonioli: Charles & Karen
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Charles & Karen''

Week 5

Individual judges' scores in the chart below are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas, Alfonso Ribeiro.
Musical guest: Paloma Faith — "Loyal"
Actor Alfonso Ribeiro filled in as a guest judge while Bruno Tonioli was unavailable while filming for Dancing with the Stars.
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Dr. Ranj & Janette25 American Smooth"Wouldn't It Be Nice" — The Beach BoysSafe
Lauren & AJ24 Contemporary"Runnin' (Lose It All)" — Naughty Boy, feat. Beyoncé & Arrow BenjaminSafe
Graeme & Oti29 Tango"Roxanne" — The PoliceSafe
Ashley & Pasha36 Rumba"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" — Elton JohnSafe
Seann & Katya24 Quickstep"Lightning Bolt" — Jake BuggBottom two
Stacey & Kevin33 Samba"Tequila" — David Hirschfelder & The Bogo Pogo OrchestraSafe
Joe & Dianne29 Waltz"Rainbow Connection" — Sleeping at LastSafe
Vick & Graziano20 Cha-cha-cha"More than Friends" — James Hype, feat. Kelli-LeighEliminated
Kate & Aljaž26 Viennese waltz"Finally Mine" — Juliet RobertsSafe
Danny & AmyJive"Flip, Flop and Fly" — Ellis HallSafe
Faye & Giovanni33 Foxtrot"Just the Way You Are" — Bruno MarsSafe
Charles & Karen36 Street/Commercial"Get Up Offa That Thing" — James BrownSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Vick & Graziano
  • Bussell: Seann & Katya
  • Ribeiro: Seann & Katya
  • Ballas: Seann & Katya

Week 6: Halloween Week

Musical guest: Rita Ora — "Let You Love Me"
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Graeme & Oti21 Cha-cha-cha"Thriller" — Michael JacksonBottom two
Stacey & Kevin35 Tango"Doctor Who Theme" — Ron GrainerSafe
Dr. Ranj & Janette20 Jive"Monster Mash" — Bobby "Boris" PickettSafe
Kate & Aljaž20 Rumba"Skin" — Rag'n'Bone ManSafe
Danny & Amy30 American Smooth"Spirit in the Sky" — Doctor and the MedicsSafe
Ashley & Pasha39 Charleston"Witch Doctor" — Don LangSafe
Seann & Katya20 Viennese waltz"I Put a Spell on You" — Screamin' Jay HawkinsEliminated
Charles & Karen25 Jive"Time Warp" — from The Rocky Horror Picture ShowSafe
Faye & Giovanni39 Theatre/Jazz"Fever" — Peggy LeeSafe
Joe & Dianne35 Foxtrot"Youngblood" — 5 Seconds of SummerSafe
Lauren & AJ29 Paso doble"Poison" — Nicole ScherzingerSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Graeme & Oti
  • Bussell: Graeme & Oti
  • Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Graeme & Oti''

Week 7

Musical guests:
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Lauren & AJ31 Jive"Girlfriend" — Avril LavigneSafe
Graeme & Oti29 Waltz"The Last Waltz" — Engelbert HumperdinckSafe
Kate & Aljaž23 Argentine tango"Assassin's Tango" — John PowellSafe
Dr. Ranj & Janette27 Samba"Freedom! '90" — George MichaelEliminated
Stacey & Kevin36 Street/Commercial"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" — Alicia KeysSafe
Danny & Amy22 Quickstep"Freedom" — Pharrell WilliamsSafe
Ashley & Pasha39 Foxtrot"Orange Colored Sky" — Natalie ColeSafe
Faye & Giovanni38 Tango"Call Me" — BlondieSafe
Charles & Karen28 Viennese waltz"Piano Man" — Billy JoelBottom two
Joe & Dianne34 Paso doble"Pompeii" — BastilleSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Dr. Ranj & Janette
  • Bussell: Charles & Karen
  • Tonioli: Charles & Karen
  • Ballas: Charles & Karen

Week 8

Musical guests:
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Kate & Aljaž30 Quickstep"I Want You to Want Me" — Letters to CleoSafe
Danny & Amy27 Samba"Feels Like Home" — Sigala, feat. Fuse ODG, Sean Paul & Kent JonesEliminated
Ashley & PashaContemporary"Unsteady" — X AmbassadorsSafe
Graeme & Oti31 Salsa"Follow the Leader" — The Soca BoysBottom two
Faye & Giovanni36 Jive"Reet Petite" — Jackie WilsonSafe
Stacey & Kevin32 Waltz"Moon River" — Audrey HepburnSafe
Joe & Dianne32 Samba"MMMBop" — HansonSafe
Lauren & AJ34 Viennese waltz"You Are the Reason" — Calum Scott, feat. Leona LewisSafe
Charles & Karen35 Charleston"No Diggity" — MinimaticSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Danny & Amy
  • Bussell: Graeme & Oti
  • Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
  • Ballas: Graeme & Oti

Week 9: Blackpool Week

Musical guests:
This week's episode was staged in the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, Lancashire. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Stacey & Kevin33 Salsa"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" — Gina GSafe
Lauren & AJ25 Argentine tango"River" — Bishop BriggsSafe
Graeme & Oti32 Theatre/Jazz"The Trolley Song" — from Meet Me in St. LouisBottom two
Faye & Giovanni38 Paso doble"Unstoppable" — E.S. PosthumusSafe
Kate & Aljaž30 American Smooth"Everlasting Love" — Love AffairEliminated
Charles & Karen38 Samba"La Bamba" — Connie FrancisSafe
Joe & Dianne38 Quickstep"Dancin' Fool" — from CopacabanaSafe
Ashley & Pasha40 Jive"Shake a Tail Feather" — from The Blues BrothersSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Graeme & Oti
  • Bussell: Graeme & Oti
  • Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Graeme & Oti''

Week 10

Musical guest: Rod Stewart — "Farewell"
Each couple performed one routine and then all couples participated in a Lindy Hop marathon for additional points. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
  • Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
  • Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ashley & Pasha''

Week 11: Musicals Week (Quarter-final)

Musical guests:
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicMusicalResult
Lauren & AJ35 American Smooth"I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy"South PacificSafe
Faye & GiovanniCharleston"The Lonely Goatherd"The Sound of MusicSafe
Charles & Karen35 Rumba"Maria"West Side StoryEliminated
Ashley & Pasha38 Quickstep"Don't Rain on My Parade"Funny GirlBottom two
Stacey & Kevin38 American Smooth"I Dreamed a Dream"Les MisérablesSafe
Joe & Dianne36 Salsa"Joseph Megamix"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
  • Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
  • Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ashley & Pasha''

Week 12: Semi-final

Musical guests: Little Mix — "Woman Like Me"
Each couple performed two routines, and are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Stacey & Kevin39 Charleston"Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" — Spike JonesSafe
Stacey & Kevin36 Viennese waltz"You're My World" — Cilla BlackSafe
Joe & Dianne29 Viennese waltz"This Year's Love" — David GraySafe
Joe & Dianne30 Argentine tango"Red Right Hand" — Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsSafe
Ashley & Pasha36 Paso doble"Spectrum (Say My Name)" — Florence and the MachineBottom two
Ashley & Pasha40 American Smooth"Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" — Dean MartinBottom two
Lauren & AJ31 Tango"Nutbush City Limits" — Tina TurnerEliminated
Lauren & AJ23 Samba"Rock the Boat" — The Hues CorporationEliminated
Faye & Giovanni37 Samba"I Go to Rio" — Pablo CruiseSafe
Faye & Giovanni39 Argentine tango"La cumparsita" — Machiko OzawaSafe

;Judges' votes to save
  • Revel Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
  • Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
  • Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
  • Ballas: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ashley & Pasha''

Week 13: Final

Musical guest: Michael Bublé — "Such a Night"
Each couple performed three routines: one chosen by the judges, their showdance routine, and their favourite dance of the series. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult
Ashley & Pasha40 Salsa"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" — from Dirty DancingRunners-up
Ashley & Pasha40 Showdance"Keeping Your Head Up" — BirdyRunners-up
Ashley & Pasha40 Charleston"Witch Doctor" — Don LangRunners-up
Stacey & Kevin39 Foxtrot"Hi Ho Silver Lining" — Jeff BeckWinners
Stacey & Kevin36 Showdance"Land of 1000 Dances" — Wilson PickettWinners
Stacey & Kevin39 Paso doble"Malagueña" — Brian SetzerWinners
Faye & Giovanni40 Viennese waltz"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" — SealRunners-up
Faye & Giovanni40 Showdance"Lullaby of Broadway" — Harry Warren & Al DubinRunners-up
Faye & Giovanni40 Theatre/Jazz"Fever" — Peggy LeeRunners-up
Joe & Dianne39 Paso doble"Pompeii" — BastilleRunners-up
Joe & Dianne39 Showdance"I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor" — Arctic MonkeysRunners-up
Joe & Dianne38 Charleston"Cotton Eye Joe" — RednexRunners-up

Dance chart

The couples performed the following each week:
  • Weeks 1–9: One unlearned dance
  • Week 10: One unlearned dance & Lindy Hop marathon
  • Week 11 : One unlearned dance
  • Week 12 : Two unlearned dances
  • Week 13 : Judges' choice, showdance & favourite dance of the series

Ratings

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.
EpisodeDateOfficial rating
Weekly rank
for BBC One		Weekly rank
for all UK TV		Share
Launch show9.332240.9%
Week 110.762247.3%
Week 29.941146.8%
Week 2 results9.372241.7%
Week 310.882246.8%
Week 3 results9.913346.8%
Week 412.031151.2%
Week 4 results9.972240.0%
Week 511.541149.4%
Week 5 results9.3923
Week 611.471149.3%
Week 6 results9.892238.7%
Week 711.131148.0%
Week 7 results9.612339.9%
Week 811.551147.0%
Week 8 results9.742239.9%
Week 911.641248.6%
Week 9 results9.602339.0%
Week 1011.701847.4%
Week 10 results9.432939.0%
Week 1111.691648.8%
Week 11 results9.832939.7%
Week 1210.621847.0%
Week 12 results9.572940.3%
Week 1312.991154.4%
Series average
201810.5945.1%