Strictly Come Dancing's massive risk with BBC boss branded 'mad'

As Strictly Come Dancing celebrates its 20th anniversary, we take a look back at the huge risk the BBC took to bring the show to TV screens when it was launched

When Strictly Come Dancing twirled onto BBC One screens on 15 May 2004, the world was just logging onto Facebook and The X Factor hadn't even hit the airwaves. Yet, in what feels like a blink of an eye, Strictly shimmied its way into the heart of British culture, with almost six million tuning in for its first whirl around the dance floor. "Nobody thought it would take off, but people just loved it," reminisces author Alison Maloney, who's penned all the official BBC Strictly annuals since 2008. Despite its current status as a household favourite, the show's inception was met with heavy scepticism.

"It was a huge risk," conceded former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey. "There were many people who thought I'd gone mad, putting ballroom dancing up at primetime on a Saturday night." Silencing critics, a follow-up series was swiftly commissioned within just four months. "It was an overnight sensation," muses Craig Revel Horwood, the sole original judge still dishing out critiques. He recalls how instantly the show resonated with viewers, remarking, "I was recognised in the streets, so people were immediately booing. It was bizarre."

With numerous transformations over the years, the initial eight celebrity dancers seem modest compared to today's lineup, and the scope of dances has expanded too. "In the initial shows, there were only two dances per week, so there might be four couples doing the cha-cha-cha, and four couples doing a waltz," notes Alison, highlighting how much the show has evolved in diversifying its weekly routines. "Now there's so much variety they really mix it up."

The show has undergone a significant visual overhaul. "The set was really basic at first it was just the stairs and the dance floor," reminisces Alison. Originally aired from BBC Television Centre, the closure of the site in 2013 led to a shift to a larger set at Elstree. "Since then, the props and technology have grown increasingly sophisticated. The LED screens make these magnificent patterns on the floor and can basically turn the studio into a Parisian boulevard or a nightclub."

Former executive producer Andrea Hamilton, who was part of the team in 2012 and 2013, agrees that the production values have become much more ambitious. "In the beginning it was more stripped back, generic and not about big concepts. It was more, 'This is the song and style, and here's your track.' But from around 2010 onwards, the dances were thought of as stories, and it became about building worlds to draw people in."

Another notable change in Strictly's past was that both the performances and the results were aired on Saturday nights. However, this changed in 2007, when the results show started broadcasting on Sunday evenings, extending the suspense for an additional 24 hours. "Now you can plan your whole weekend around Strictly and, if you're really devoted, watch It Takes Two in the week as well," Alison quips.

One constant in the show's history is the annual Blackpool special, a nod to the original Come Dancing series filmed at the iconic Tower Ballroom in the 1970s. "Everyone loves Blackpool," she says. "It's a benchmark midway through the series that we all look forward to."

As with any long-running series, the judging panel has undergone several changes. Initially, the panel consisted of Craig, the late Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips, and Bruno Tonioli. "One great thing in the beginning was that the judges were completely unknown," Alison notes. "None of them were TV stars, and they all thought it would only last five minutes. How wrong they were!" As original judges, they were free to develop their own distinct personalities. "Len was an instant hit as the Cockney geezer with his ridiculous phrases like 'pickle my walnuts'. Craig quickly fell into being the pantomime villain, and Arlene took on the headteacher role, telling everyone off for the tiny things they got wrong. And Bruno was just the mad, comedy Italian on the end," Alison recalls.

The quartet stayed intact until Arlene's departure in 2009, which signalled the entrance of 2007 Strictly winner Alesha Dixon. After three series, Alesha left, making way for Darcey Bussell in 2012, who remained until 2018 to pursue other dance projects. Motsi Mabuse then stepped into Darcey's shoes in 2019. The judging panel saw another major shift when Shirley Ballas replaced Len Goodman as head judge after his 2016 exit, with Len remarking, "It's time to hand the role of head judge to someone else."

As the pandemic halted Bruno's transatlantic travels, Anton Du Beke temporarily took his place, later securing a permanent spot in 2022. Bruno, leaving after 18 years, spoke about the challenge of balancing his commitments, stating, "I just couldn't fly any more. I don't know how I survived that schedule." Anton, a crowd-pleaser, was delighted to take over, saying, "I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be stepping into Bruno's brogues... I promise to be kinder to all the couples than any of them have ever been to me."

Alison heaps praise on the current Strictly panel, saying, "Anton has the unique experience of having been in the pro dancers' shoes, and so brings empathy with that. I think Sir Bruce also saw Anton as a natural successor, so his humour lives on through him in a way. And Shirley and Motsi both have a lifetime of experience in the world of dance, so are great in their roles. Craig remains a perfect antidote to the others, with his catchphrases such as 'fab-u-lous' and 'di-sah-ster darling'."

The show's presenting team has seen its own evolution, particularly after Sir Bruce stepped down in 2014, leading to Tess Daly teaming up with Claudia Winkleman, a decision that was considered quite daring at the time. Andrea, now the managing director of ModestTV, reflects, "I think Strictly was the first big show to have two female presenters," adding that pairing Claudia and Tess was a stroke of genius that demonstrated the show's capacity for change.

Andrea points out the necessity of adaptation for a show with a two-decade history: "Things can't stay the same. When Bruce and Len or certain dancers left, you'd think, 'What's going to happen? How are we going to go on? ' But that's when you realise the format of the show is so powerful it can move on and still thrive."

Strictly has gained a reputation for its diversity over the years. "As well as same-sex couples, we've had Paralympian Jonnie Peacock as the show's first amputee, Ellie Simmonds as the first with dwarfism, and Rose Ayling-Ellis as the first deaf contestant," Alison points out.

"These have all been huge talking points, and shows viewers in the most inspiring way how anything is possible."