Strictly Come Dancing 2023: Release date and latest news

All celebs will be performing one show dance, a dance picked by the judges and their favourite from the season.

Taking to the dance floor this weekend are Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell, Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, and Ellie Leach and her professional dance partner Vito Coppola.

But who will lift the Glitterball?

Former Strictly pro Vincent Simone has tipped Ellie and Vito to win this year's show, saying: ""I love Vito! Since he joined Strictly, I think he is the best professional male dancer without a shadow of a doubt.

"I really enjoy watching him from a professional point of view, and he's an amazing teacher with what he managed to achieve will Ellie – amazing! All I can say is, amazing and I think she should win. They should win!"

Some fans have questioned whether the duo are an "item" due to their insane chemistry on the dance floor, however, Ellie and Vito aren't paying attention to the romance rumours, and are instead focusing on this weekend's show.

Layton Williams is also blocking out the haters, after experiencing a fair bit of trolling this season due to his dancing experience.

"I'm not the only person that's been in this position, so I don't understand why it's shock horror news, because I'm not first, [and I] won't be the last. Just, let's keep it moving," he told RadioTimes.com and other press.

As well as performances from the finalists, we'll see some of this year's contestants returning to the dance floor for a special group dance.

Despite pulling out of the competition during the quarter-final due to an injury, Nigel Harman has been confirmed to return. However, Amanda Abbington won't be returning for the final alongside her co-stars after quitting the show earlier in the season due to "personal reasons".

Read on for everything you need to know as the Strictly final takes place, including what time the live show starts. And if you want to know how how to vote on the night, click the link.

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 release date: What time is the final?

The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 live final will air on 7pm on Saturday 16th December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

All five remaining celebrities will be perform, after which the judges will score them. The public vote will then open and the results will be revealed on Sunday night.

The two contestants with the fewest votes will have to perform in the dance-off, with the judges deciding who to save and who to send home.

Who is competing in Strictly Come Dancing 2023? Confirmed line-up

Here are the celebrities taking part in Strictly Come Dancing 2023.

• Layton Williams
• Ellie Leach
• Bobby Brazier

Former Strictly 2023 contestants:

• Les Dennis - Eliminated in Week Two
• Nikita Kanda - Eliminated in Week Three
• Jody Cundy CBE - Eliminated in Week Four
• Eddie Kadi - Eliminated Week Five
• Amanda Abbington - Exited the competition in Week Five for personal reasons
• Zara McDermott - Eliminated in Week Six
• Adam Thomas - Eliminated in Week Seven
• Krishnan Guru-Murthy - Eliminated in Week Eight
• Angela Rippon - Eliminated in Week Nine
• Angela Scanlon - Eliminated in Week 10
• Nigel Harman - Withdrew in Week 11
• Annabel Croft - Eliminated in Week 12

Many of the stars have spoken out on their expectations leading up to the show, with Bobby Brazier saying: "I'm excited to hear what [the judges] have to say and take it back to the studio."

He added: "The journey that I'm going to go on with my partner, and my friends now, it's going to be so beautiful. They're going to see me at my best and at my worst, and it's just a really sweet thing, I think."

Angela Rippon, who's the oldest contestant to ever take part in the show, said of why she signed up: "I think if we can get the message across, that it is a great way of keeping fit even during your 20s and 30s, and think ahead to when you're going to be old.

"And the number of people that are dancing in their 60s and 70s or 80s and 90s, it's fantastic and it's good for the brain as well."

Adam Thomas, meanwhile, said he just wants to make his kids smile with his appearance on the show.

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 hosts

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have returned as the hosts of this year's Strictly Come Dancing once again.

While Tess stays close by to the dance floor to speak to each couple after they've performed, Claudia's domain is the gallery, where the other pairs sit patiently waiting for their chance to strut their stuff!

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 judges

As with all our favourite entertainment shows, the series would be nothing without a familiar panel of judges to critique the stars - and Strictly is no different.

Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas returned from last year as the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 judges.

While Craig has been giving his (sometimes harsh!) opinions on the show since its inception in 2004, Shirley Ballas replaced Len Goodman (who sadly passed away in April this year, aged 78) as head judge in season 15.

Motsi Mabuse - sister to former dancer, and winner, on the show, Oti - became a firm fan favourite when she stepped into Dame Darcey Bussell's shoes in season 17; and former professional Anton Du Beke finally got his time in the sun when Bruno Tonioli quit the show after season 18.

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 professionals

While they may be partnered with a host of famous faces each year, the Strictly Come Dancing professionals have become just as well-known as their celebrity pairings!

Thankfully, we already know that we're only losing one of them this year. Cameron Lombard – who joined the series in 2021 but wasn't given a partner on either of his seasons on the show – has exited the line-up.

A spokesperson for Strictly said: "Cameron is a fantastic performer and we have loved working with him for the past two years on Strictly. He is currently pursuing other opportunities but will always be part of the family and our door will always be open to him in the future."

The BBC has confirmed Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Vito Coppola, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Lauren Oakley, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Michelle Tsiakkas, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu will all be returning for this year's series.

Where is Strictly Come Dancing filmed?

Strictly Come Dancing is currently filmed at Elstree Studios, which is located in London's Borehamwood - but that isn’t where the show has always taken place.

Prior to its move to Elstree in 2013, Strictly was previously filmed at BBC Television Studio from the first season, which aired in 2004. The first two seasons of the show also featured episodes which were filmed at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool - which, of course, is now a coveted opportunity for the contestants.

Wembley Arena then hosted the show in 2011 and 2012, before Strictly permanently made Elstree its home the following year.

Will Blackpool Week return for Strictly Come Dancing 2023?

Yes!

The Strictly celebrities and their pros will take on Blackpool Tower once again.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 16th December at 7:25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The result show will air on Sunday 17th December.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.