Behind the Glitterball: Unveiling the Secrets of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing, the much-loved reality show that leads up to Christmas, is known for its glitz, glamour, and fancy footwork. But there's a whole lot more that goes on behind the scenes to keep the show dancing. Here, we reveal the top 10 secrets of Strictly Come Dancing, from auditions to pre-show rituals and more.
Celebrities Have to Audition
Contrary to popular belief, celebrities don't just get approached to be on the show. They actually have to audition for a coveted spot, and it can take months before they find out if they've been successful.
Wardrobe Prep Starts in Spring
The stunning costumes on Strictly Come Dancing take a lot of time and effort to create. Costume designer Vicky Gill revealed that costume design can start as early as May, four months before the show airs. Each series requires up to 500 costumes, and one outfit can use up to 12,000 crystals.
Contestants Help Pick the Songs
While the celebrities have some say in the songs they dance to, ultimately, the professional dancers make the final decision. Les Dennis, who was eliminated in the 2023 series, accidentally posted his playlist on Twitter a week early, revealing the songs he wanted to dance to.
Strictly Couples Have Strange Pre-Show Rituals
Each contestant has their own pre-show ritual. Kai, for example, blows on his fingers before going on stage, inspired by track and field athlete Greg Rutherford. Fleur East has a sentimental ritual of touching her ring before performing, as it was made from her late father's ring.
The Contestants Do a Practice Run
Former Strictly star AJ Pritchard used the time viewers at home watched the VT as an opportunity to practice the routine in front of the judges and audience. This allowed the judges to see how well his partner performed.
Audience Members Are Shuffled Between Shows
During the filming of Strictly Come Dancing, audience members sitting on the balcony behind the judges are shuffled around to differentiate between the Saturday and Sunday shows, which are filmed back-to-back. Balcony audience members are also not allowed to give standing ovations for health and safety reasons.
Judges First Tell Production Their Scores
Before revealing their scores to the audience, the judges first tell production their scores by pressing a number on a small machine to the left of them. This allows the scores to seamlessly show up on our screens at home.
Pros Don't Get a Day Off… But Celebs Rest on Sunday
While celebrities have Sundays off to rest, professional dancers like Janette Manrara use the day for research and choreography planning for the following week's dance. Sundays are the most important day of the week for the pros as they prepare the choreography and storyline behind the next dance.
Group Dances Are Often Filmed in Advance
Contrary to what viewers might think, the group dances performed by the professionals are actually filmed in advance. Before the new series starts, all the professionals gather to learn new routines and film them.
Singers Can Spend Hours Performing
On show day, the singers can spend up to 12 hours in the studio performing on-and-off for the Strictly duos. They start early in the morning, rehearse multiple times, and then perform live in the evening.
