Strictly Come Dancing has suffered a significant setback as the latest viewing figures for its launch show have come to light.
The BBC's flagship dance competition, which celebrated its 20th anniversary with a grand opening over the weekend, experienced a notable decline in viewership, with one million fewer people tuning in compared to last year. The programme, which returned amidst the controversy surrounding Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington, attracted an average of 5.5 million viewers.
These initial figures are based on overnight TV ratings and do not account for those who may watch later via BBC iPlayer or other catch-up services. In comparison, the previous year's opener drew 6.2 million viewers, while 2022 saw 5.4 million, and the year before that boasted a 7 million strong audience eager to discover the celebrity and professional dancer pairings.
Amidst the ratings news, Strictly's professional dancer Amy Dowden made a triumphant return to the show, receiving a warm welcome with thunderous applause and cheers as she stepped onto the dance floor. Last year, Amy had to withdraw from the competition due to her cancer treatment, which included a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
Her comeback was marked by a poignant performance, after which she joyfully announced that she was now showing "no evidence of disease."
The dance floor is ablaze with brand new partnerships as Amy gets groovy with JLS sensation JB Gill, and Toyah Wilcox teams up with the charismatic Neil Jones.
Love Island favourite Tasha Ghouri finds her rhythm with Aljaz Skorjanec, while Sarah Hadland strikes a pose alongside Vito Coppola.
Dr Punam Krishan of This Morning fame will be twirling with Gorka Marquez.
Adding to the sparkling lineup, Olympian Montell Douglas joins forces with Johannes Radebe, former TOWIE heartthrob Pete Wicks pairs with Jowita Przystal, Olympic hockey champ Sam Quek syncs steps with Nikita Kuzmin, and comedian Chris McCausland brings laughter to the dance floor with Dianne Buswell.
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A BBC spokesperson was quoted saying: "Strictly pairings have never been about ticking boxes."
They continued by explaining that each series is "unique and there is no hard and fast rule on the show regarding same-sex pairings."
This statement emerges amidst diminishing viewer numbers and ahead of the outcome of the BBC's probe into whether Giovanni behaved inappropriately during rehearsals with Amanda Abbington.
Amanda was the initial whistleblower, with Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh also sharing their uneasy experiences with the celebrated dancer Giovanni who has staunchly refuted all allegations.
Additionally, reports confirm that fellow professional dancer Graziano Di Prima is no longer part of Strictly following issues related to his conduct with Zara McDermott.
Since then, the broadcaster has put in place specific measures to ensure the safety and comfort of the celebrities participating.
Moreover, fellow professional dancer Graziano was removed from the show due to his behaviour towards Zara McDermott.
The broadcaster has since reinforced these strategies to further guarantee the wellbeing of the stars involved.
