Strictly reels in viewers with 8.6 million watching launch
THE launch episode of Strictly Come Dancing was watched by an average of 8.6 million viewers, according to overnight ratings.
This marks an increase from the 2019 series opener, which launched to an average audience of 7.8 million people.
Saturday night’s episode achieved a 42.2 per cent audience share and had a peak of nine million viewers, a spokesman for the programme said.
It was the most watched programme across all channels on Saturday night, he added.
Last year’s launch had a 44.7 per cent share of all those watching television in the timeslot, with the audience peaking at 8.3 million.
The show saw a celebrity perform as part of a same- sex pairing for the first time in the programme’s history.
Leeds boxer Nicola Adams was paired with Katya Jones, while celebrities including comedian Bill Bailey, actress Caroline Quentin and former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith also featured.
YouTuber HRVY, Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, EastEnders
actress Maisie Smith, radio DJ Clara Amfo, former NFL player Jason Bell, musician Max George and TV presenters JJ Chalmers and Ranvir Singh are also taking part.
The programme featured prerecorded routines from the professionals, as well as a group performance from this year’s entire cohort of contestants.
However, during the performance the couples got only within close distance of their own partners, due to coronavirus rules.
During the programme, Jones said: “I think the beauty of this partnership is it’s never been done before on Strictly so basically we are free to do what we want, there’s no real rules.”
Adams tweeted to say she was “so excited” to have revealed Jones as her partner.
“I couldn’t have been paired with a better partner than a fellow champ in her own right and I can’t wait to see what creative dance routines Katya comes up with,” she said.