Former BBC presenter Alex Dyke has said Strictly Come Dancing should be "put out of its misery," calling the show an "old, tired format" after it suffered a noticeable dip in viewers.
Speaking on TalkTV's Saturday (3 October) instalment with Duncan Barkes, Dyke accused the BBC of attempting to "flog a dead horse" with the programme, drawing comparisons to ITV's handling of The X-Factor.
Presenter changes under fire
Dyke referenced the loss of Bruce Forsyth and the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, stating the new presenting trio of Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe "aren't as lovable and as good as the BBC hoped."
He added: "It's the 24th series. How many more people can you see that you don't think can dance, can actually dance and say wow? It's an old, tired format. Put it out of its misery."
Ratings decline
The comments come after The Independent reported on 27 September that Strictly drew an average of 4.8 million viewers during its first two-and-a-half-hour live show on Saturday 26 September, down from 6.2 million for the 2025 opener.
A Strictly spokesperson responded: "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."
Adding to the pressure, The Celebrity Traitors, presented by ex-Strictly host Claudia Winkleman, drew 8.9 million viewers for its season two premiere on Thursday 1 October.
Viewer backlash and criticism
Following The Celebrity Traitors' return, viewers took to X to compare the series with Strictly. One wrote: "I expect #Traitors to wipe floor with #Strictly in terms of viewing figures." Another said: "Who cares about #Strictly. Here come #TheTraitors." A third remarked: "Traitors is great, but I'm rapidly going off Strictly."
Strictly has faced backlash since returning, with several viewers arguing the BBC was wrong to introduce three presenters when the show had always run smoothly with two. Newcomer Josh Widdicombe has been criticised as "awkward," "out of his depth" and "out of place" on the show. The comedian has not commented on the complaints, though he recently shared a message of support from Strictly professional Lauren Oakley on Instagram.
