Strictly Come Dancing is now being beaten in the ratings by Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off and BBC's Celebrity Traitors, with viewers claiming the reason is the show's revamp and casting choices.
Early series Saturday shows attracted around 4.8–5.1 million viewers in the overnight ratings, while Sunday results programmes drew roughly 4.5 million. For context, consolidated audiences for similar weeks in 2025 were closer to 7–8 million, although those figures also include catch-up viewing.
Hosting changes and competition blamed
Following the exits of presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the BBC show last year, the arrival of a fresh presenting team - comprising Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe - has split loyal audiences, contributing to early viewer decline.
Fierce competition from competing broadcasters and significant live sporting coverage on multi-platform channels has also eroded live overnight shares during crucial weekend time slots.
Viewers react to ratings slump
Following the announcement on X, numerous individuals appeared to 'identify the reason' the programme has tumbled concerning ratings.
One audience member observed: "They needed to go so much bigger and bolder with the Strictly revamp. Some viewers left with Claudia and Tess did."
While another placed responsibility on presenter Josh Widdicombe, who has encountered significant criticism regarding his presenting abilities.
Others disputed it was solely about the hosts however, as one individual commented: "It has zero to do with presenters. it's the poor line-up this year."
Another concurred: "It's casting for me, it's felt soo poor the last few series."
Someone else suggested the programme was simply 'tired' overall, stating: "It's just had its day, it's been going for 22 years! I use to love Strictly but I stopped watching in 2021. I think it has a couple of years left then they should go out on a high and have a big celebration of it."
BBC responds to falling figures
It emerged this week that Celebrity Traitors is currently surpassing Strictly Come Dancing regarding viewing figures this year. It has also been overtaken by Channel 4's Great British Bake Off, which broadcasts on a Tuesday, alongside ITV's crime thriller series The Blame.
The new presenting team has avoided directly addressing the specific ratings figures. However, they have subtly acknowledged the initial criticism and mixed reactions from viewers.
Following the series launch, Emma Willis posted a cryptic message on Instagram widely interpreted as a response to the backlash over the new trio, urging critics to give the new line-up time to settle.
Josh Widdicombe has also mentioned in interviews that adjusting to the fast-paced, live television format has been tougher than anticipated.
While the hosts haven't discussed viewing stats publicly, the BBC issued an official statement addressing reports of falling figures. The corporation defended the performance, emphasizing that live overnight ratings tell only part of the story and highlighting strong catch-up figures across BBC iPlayer as overall viewing habits shift away from linear TV.
Rather than focusing on rating debates, the new hosts have maintained a business-as-usual approach during broadcasts, focusing on building chemistry as the series progresses. Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday 24 October 2026, at 6:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
