Strictly Come Dancing Launches Spin-Off Show to Attract Younger Viewers After Host Changes
The BBC aims to boost ratings with "Strictly: Lights Up," hosted by a TikTok star and a former contestant, following a debut with a new presenting trio that underperformed.
Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced a new spin-off show, "Strictly: Lights Up," hosted by TikTok comedian Abi Clarke and former contestant Tyler West, in an effort to draw in younger viewers. This move comes after the main series' revamped lineup of presenters—Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe—failed to achieve the anticipated ratings boost upon their debut on Saturday night.
The new iPlayer show will feature immediate post-elimination interviews with couples, their dance-off opponents, and judges, as well as conversations with hosts and celebrity guests. "Strictly: Lights Up" is scheduled to air on BBC iPlayer each Sunday evening after the results show.
Clarke, 30, gained significant popularity during the COVID-19 lockdowns through viral comedy sketches on TikTok, where she now has over 900,000 followers. West, also 30, previously competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022.
Alongside "Strictly: Lights Up," the BBC is introducing weekly training room episodes where Clarke will visit couples during rehearsals, and a new weekly highlights show. Additionally, "Strictly Pro Dance Off" will air on CBBC, featuring professional dancers in a seven-minute virtual dance challenge.
A source told The Sun that these initiatives are part of a drive to attract a younger demographic and future-proof the show. "This will delight the Strictly fandom and it’s obviously part of the renewed drive to bring in a younger market to the show which, along with hiring more to compete, is seen as future-proofing the contest," the source stated.
The series has also seen the introduction of five new professional dancers following a significant cull of established pros. The show has reportedly focused on signing celebrities who can help it connect with the social media generation.
The launch show on Saturday, which was pre-recorded, peaked at 5.8 million viewers, a slight increase from the previous year's 5.6 million peak. However, the average viewership for the episode was 5.3 million, down from 5.4 million a year ago. While the peak figure is marginally higher, it remains substantially below the viewership numbers recorded before recent controversies, which included allegations regarding the treatment of contestants and backstage culture, leading to the departure of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima and the implementation of stricter welfare measures by the BBC.
In 2023, the Strictly launch show peaked at 6.7 million viewers and averaged 6.3 million. The new hosting lineup and revamped format were intended to reignite viewer interest, but the initial overnight figures suggest these changes have not yet resulted in a significant ratings resurgence.
The 15 celebrity contestants learned their professional partners for the season during the pre-recorded launch episode. The current hosting trio of Willis, Widdicombe, and Radebe took over from long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed the show at the end of the 2025 series.