Strictly Come Dancing returned for its fifteenth series in 2017 with a launch show on 9 September on BBC One, and live shows starting on 23 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two.

Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges. On 9 May 2017, it was announced that Len Goodman, who had retired from the show at the end of the previous series, would be replaced by Shirley Ballas. Tonioli missed the week 5 episode due to a scheduling conflict, but was not replaced by a guest judge.

Holby City actor Joe McFadden and Katya Jones were announced as the winners on 16 December; while Gemma Atkinson and Aljaž Škorjanec, Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice, and Alexandra Burke and Gorka Márquez were the runners-up.

Format 

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.

The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Shirley Ballas, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.

Professional dancers
On 21 June 2017, the list of professionals returning for the fifteenth series was revealed. Professionals from the last series who did not return included Joanne Clifton, Natalie Lowe, and Oksana Platero. They were replaced by former Dancing with the Stars Australia professional Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, and Amy Dowden. This series saw the final appearance of professional dancer Brendan Cole.

Couples
In the fifteenth series, there were fifteen celebrity contestants. On 7 August 2017, the first celebrity announced to be participating in the series was The Saturdays singer Mollie King. Celebrity reveals continued through the month with the line-up fully announced on The One Show on 21 August 2017.

Scoring chart
The highest score each week is indicated in  with a dagger (), while the lowest score each week is indicated in  with a double-dagger ().

Color key:

Notes

Weekly scores
Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas, Bruno Tonioli.

Launch show
Musical guests:
Shania Twain – "Life's About to Get Good"
Rita Ora – "Lonely Together"

During the show, the professional dancers performed a tribute to Sir Bruce Forsyth, who had died just weeks before the series began.

Week 1
There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Week 2
Musical guest: Emeli Sandé — "Starlight"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Chizzy & Pasha
Bussell: Brian & Amy
Tonioli: Brian & Amy
Ballas: Brian & Amy

Week 3: Movie Week
Musical guest: Sheridan Smith — "My Man"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Simon & Karen
Bussell: Simon & Karen
Tonioli: Simon & Karen
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Simon & Karen

Week 4
Musical guest: Gregory Porter — "Smile"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Davood & Nadiya
Bussell: Davood & Nadiya
Tonioli: Davood & Nadiya
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Davood & Nadiya

Week 5
Individual judges scores given in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas.

Musical guest: The Script — "Arms Open"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Simon & Karen
Bussell: Simon & Karen
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Simon & Karen

Week 6: Halloween Week
Musical guest: Steps — "Scared of the Dark"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Mollie & AJ
Bussell: Mollie & AJ
Tonioli: Mollie & AJ
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Mollie & AJ

Week 7
Musical guest: Stereophonics — "Caught by the Wind"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Mollie & AJ
Bussell: Aston & Janette
Tonioli: Aston & Janette
Ballas: Mollie & AJ (Since the other judges were not unanimous, Shirley Ballas, as head judge, made the final decision to save Mollie & AJ.)

Week 8
Musical guest: Seal — "Autumn Leaves"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Jonnie & Oti
Bussell: Jonnie & Oti
Tonioli: Jonnie & Oti
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jonnie & Oti

Week 9: Blackpool Week
Musical guests:
Tears for Fears — "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Alfie Boe & Michael Ball — "New York, New York"

This week's episode was staged in the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, Lancashire. 

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Debbie & Giovanni
Bussell: Debbie & Giovanni
Tonioli: Debbie & Giovanni
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Debbie & Giovanni

Week 10
Musical guest: Kelly Clarkson — "Meaning of Life"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Alexandra & Gorka
Bussell: Alexandra & Gorka
Tonioli: Alexandra & Gorka
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Alexandra & Gorka

Week 11: Musicals Week (Quarterfinal)
Musical guests: Amber Riley, Beverley Knight & Cassidy Janson — "I'm Every Woman"

Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Alexandra & Gorka
Bussell: Alexandra & Gorka
Tonioli: Alexandra & Gorka
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Alexandra & Gorka

Week 12: Semifinal
Musical guests: Craig David & Bastille — "I Know You"

Each couple performed two routines. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Gemma & Aljaž
Bussell: Gemma & Aljaž
Tonioli: Gemma & Aljaž
Ballas: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Gemma & Aljaž

Week 13: Final
Musical guest: Ed Sheeran — "Perfect"

Each couple performed three routines: one chosen by the judges, their favourite dance of the season, and their showdance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Dance chart
Week 1: One unlearned dance
Week 2: One unlearned dance
Week 3 (Movie Week): One unlearned dance
Week 4: One unlearned dance
Week 5: One unlearned dance
Week 6 (Halloween Week): One unlearned dance
Week 7: One unlearned dance
Week 8: One unlearned dance
Week 9 (Blackpool Week): One unlearned dance
Week 10: One unlearned dance & paso doble marathon
Week 11 (Musicals Week): One unlearned dance
Week 12 (Semifinal): Two unlearned dances
Week 9 (Final): Judges' choice, showdance & favourite dance of the series

Ratings

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB. The series 15 first live show with 11.04 million viewers is the most watched series debut for the show in its history.

References

External links

2017 British television seasons
Series 15