Strictly Come Dancing has returned with a new look and a hefty price tag, costing an estimated £1 million a week to produce, according to The I Paper. The figure covers elaborate staging, costumes, and fees for contestants, judges, and presenters, making the show one of the BBC's most expensive to fund.
The autumn series debuted with significant changes, including five new professional dancers after a reported "bloodbath" saw several fan favourites leave the ballroom. Emma Willia, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe have taken over presenting duties from Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who departed at the end of the previous series.
Budget concerns amid BBC cuts
A BBC insider told the outlet: "Strictly is a well-funded show and will continue to be. BBC Studios will continue to manage its costs responsibly - and maintaining the high creative standards audiences expect across all our productions, including Strictly, remains a priority."
They added: "But if the cuts are to be shared equally, it would mean making savings on Strictly's sequins as well as other shows. The new presenters could start with a pay cut, the judges and dancers too. You would try and avoid savings that can be seen on-screen, as viewers will still expect a high-quality show."
A BBC Studios spokesperson responded: "As a commercially funded business, our focus remains on growing value for licence fee payers and maximising returns to the BBC."
Viewing figures decline
The opening live episode on September 26 reached a peak of five million viewers, with an average of 4.8 million tuning in over the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast. This marks a decline from the 6.2 million average for the 2025 live episode.
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."
The launch show drew an average of 5.3 million viewers, a 49.2% share of overnight ratings — a 7% rise from last year.
Broader BBC financial pressure
The BBC is seeking £500m in savings, and Matt Brittin told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that "we wouldn't guarantee any programme or any channel will exist forever." He added that the "tight financial situation means that we're having a look at some of those decisions a bit sooner than we might like."
Audience behaviour is also changing, with Brittin noting: "If most of an audience is getting things on demand, we have to look at the value and the cost of all of those different services." The Government's Green Paper on the BBC's future said increasing commercial revenues would "ease the burden on the public" and reduce reliance on the licence fee. One staffer said: "The more you cut Studios, the less money the BBC gets back to invest in programmes."
