In an effort to engage a younger demographic, bosses behind the popular BBC ballroom competition Strictly Come Dancing have announced a new spin-off series titled Strictly: Lights Up. This move comes in the wake of the main show’s revamped launch, which featured a new hosting trio but did not immediately yield the anticipated surge in viewership.
New Spin-Off Aims for Youthful Appeal
The upcoming spin-off, Strictly: Lights Up, is set to premiere on BBC iPlayer and will be broadcast each Sunday evening following the main show’s results. The program will be co-hosted by TikTok personality Abi Clarke, 30, and former Strictly contestant Tyler West, 30. Clarke, known for her viral comedy sketches on TikTok, is expected to resonate with a younger audience. Her online presence has grown significantly, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, amassing nearly a million followers and tens of millions of likes on the platform.
Strictly: Lights Up promises to offer viewers immediate post-elimination reactions from the couple voted off, alongside insights from their dance-off rivals. The hosts will also conduct interviews with the judges, the new presenting team, and other celebrity and professional dancers involved in the series.
Expanding the Strictly Universe
Beyond Strictly: Lights Up, the BBC is introducing additional content designed to deepen viewer engagement. These include weekly ‘training room’ episodes where Abi Clarke visits couples during their rehearsals, and a new weekly highlights show to recap the most memorable moments from the main competition. Furthermore, a separate competition, Strictly Pro Dance Off, has been launched on CBBC. This seven-minute segment features three professional dancers competing in a virtual ballroom challenge.
Revamped Main Series Faces Ratings Challenge
The launch of Strictly: Lights Up follows the debut of the main Strictly Come Dancing series on Saturday night, which introduced a new presenting team comprising Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe. While the show’s pre-recorded launch episode attracted a peak viewership of 5.8 million overnight, a slight increase from the previous year’s 5.6 million, the average viewership settled at 5.3 million, a decrease from 5.4 million in the prior year. This performance has fallen short of the significant ratings boost that BBC executives had hoped for with the series’ overhaul.
The current viewership figures, though showing a marginal rise in peak audience, remain considerably lower than those recorded in years prior to recent controversies surrounding the program. These controversies have included allegations concerning the treatment of celebrity contestants and the behind-the-scenes atmosphere, which led to the departure of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima and prompted the BBC to implement enhanced welfare protocols. Before these issues arose, the Strictly launch typically peaked at around 6.7 million viewers, with an average of 6.3 million in 2023.
New Format and Hosting Team
The introduction of a fresh format and a new hosting lineup was intended to recapture lapsed viewers. However, the initial overnight ratings suggest that these changes have not yet translated into a substantial resurgence in audience numbers. The launch episode featured performances from the professional dancers, including five new additions to the troupe following a significant reduction in the number of long-standing professionals. The episode also saw the 15 celebrity contestants paired with their professional partners for the season.
The new presenting team of Willis, Widdicombe, and Radebe have taken over from the long-serving duo Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed the show at the conclusion of the 2025 series. The BBC’s strategy with the new spin-off and expanded content appears to be a concerted effort to broaden the show’s appeal and secure its future viewership, particularly among younger demographics.
Conclusion
The launch of Strictly: Lights Up signifies a strategic move by Strictly Come Dancing producers to tap into new audiences, leveraging the popularity of social media influencers like Abi Clarke. As the revamped main series navigates its initial weeks, the success of these supplementary shows will be crucial in bolstering overall viewership and reinforcing the competition’s enduring appeal across diverse age groups.
