A huge change to Strictly Come Dancing has been announced as BBC set for voting shake-up
Strictly Come Dancing voting will be different this year 👀💃
- Strictly Come Dancing will be back later this month.
- The BBC has announced a massive change to the way viewers vote.
- But what can audiences expect after the shake-up?
Strictly Come Dancing will soon be samba-ing its way back onto our screens but with one major change. The way that viewers cast their votes will be different this year.
The start date for series 23 has been announced as the launch show will reveal the pairings for the 2025 edition. Fans have also been given a first look at the new episodes here.
Ahead of the return of Strictly, the BBC has announced that it has ended premium-rate phone voting. It will impact the way fans vote in the upcoming season of the hit dancing show.
How is voting for Strictly Come Dancing changing?
In a major shake-up, the Beeb is stopping premium-rate phone voting. It was announced that Eurovision 2025 earlier this year was the last major BBC show to offer it.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster explained: “For years, shows like Strictly Come Dancing, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and Eurovision let viewers vote by calling premium-rate numbers. However, this is now an outdated system and also expensive to run.
“Online voting has become the go-to choice for most viewers. In fact, the overwhelming majority of votes for the last Strictly series were cast online.
“And earlier this year, BT, the company that provided these phone services for the BBC, announced it would stop offering them in early 2025.”
It means that from now on, voting for BBC shows will be done online only. It’s quick and easy -and if you have a BBC account, you’re already set. Plus, having an account gives you extra benefits like:
- A more personalised iPlayer experience
- The ability to pick up shows across devices
- Local weather updates tailored to you
If you already have a BBC account, you don’t need to do anything. During voting, you’ll be directed to the show’s website where the voting link will be clearly shown.
If you don’t have an account yet, signing up is simple and free here. The BBC spokesperson added: “We know this is a change for some viewers, so we’ll be sharing clear instructions during shows like Strictly to explain how to get set up and vote.”
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