Strictly Come Dancing is facing yet another dramatic shake-up following the shock resignations of long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman — and this time, it’s happening right on the dancefloor.
During Tuesday’s episode of It Takes Two, Fleur East revealed that producers are introducing a brand-new twist for the remaining six couples: a high-stakes challenge called the Instant Dance, set to hit the show very soon.
Claudia and Tess will oversee the new segment, which forces couples to select a dance style at random — but it must be one they’ve already mastered earlier in the competition. After a frantic scramble through the wardrobe department, the music will kick in just 10 seconds later, giving them almost no time to plan before stepping straight onto the ballroom floor.
Once each couple performs, judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will have the power to award up to six extra points.
Head judge Shirley Ballas warned that the new twist could completely turn the leaderboard on its head. She said it has “the power to change everything,” adding that with standards “so incredibly high this year,” the pressure will be immense. She also teased that although dance styles, costumes and music won’t be revealed until the night, “what we can be sure of right now is that it’s going to be a whole lot of fun. I cannot wait!”
According to Fleur, the Instant Dance will take place toward the end of next Saturday’s episode, airing November 29 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer — meaning couples will face double the pressure, having already performed their regular weekly routines.
The competition moves to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom this weekend, with couples Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon, Lewis Cope and Katya Jones, and Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe all making it through. They join La Voix with Aljaž Škorjanec, Karen Carney with Carlos, and George Clarke with Alexis Warr.
However, bookies have already predicted trouble for several contestants, placing Balvinder, La Voix and Amber in the danger zone ahead of Sunday night’s elimination.
