Strictly Come Dancing voting is now done entirely online through a BBC account, either on the BBC website or by scanning the on-screen QR code during the Saturday live show. Voting opens once every couple has performed and stays open for a short window before closing ahead of Sunday’s results show. This guide walks through exactly how it works, when to vote, and what changed after the show dropped its old phone-in system.
If you’re used to calling in to vote for your favorite couple, the process looks different now. Here’s what actually happens each week.
How Does Strictly Come Dancing Voting Work?
Strictly Come Dancing voting combines public votes with the judges’ scores from Saturday’s live show to decide which two couples land in Sunday’s dance-off. No couple is automatically safe, even one that scores a perfect 40 from the judges, because the public vote carries real weight in the final outcome.
Voting only opens after every couple has danced, so you can’t cast a vote partway through the show. Once the last routine finishes, the vote window opens, and viewers pick their favorite couple through the BBC’s online voting system. The two couples with the lowest combined total, judges’ scores plus public votes, go head-to-head in the following night’s dance-off.
How to Vote on Strictly Come Dancing Online
You vote on Strictly Come Dancing by visiting bbc.co.uk/strictly or scanning the QR code shown on screen during the live show, then signing in with a free BBC account. This replaced the old system of calling a premium-rate phone number, which the BBC retired for Strictly and several other shows after its phone provider, BT, stopped offering those services in early 2025.
If you don’t already have a BBC account, you can register for one for free directly on the BBC website ahead of the live show. Setting it up in advance saves time once voting actually opens, since the window doesn’t stay open long.
Do You Need a BBC Account to Vote?
Yes, a BBC account is required to vote on Strictly Come Dancing under the current online-only system. Once you’ve registered, that same account works for the rest of the series, so you only need to set it up once.
Having a BBC account also unlocks other BBC services, like a personalized iPlayer experience, though voting is the main reason most Strictly fans sign up. If you’re voting on behalf of an older relative who isn’t comfortable online, setting up their account for them ahead of the launch show is worth doing early, since some viewers found the switch away from phone voting frustrating at first.
When Does Strictly Come Dancing Voting Open Each Week?
Voting opens on Saturday night once every couple has finished performing, and it stays open for a limited window, historically around 25 minutes, before closing ahead of Sunday’s results show. Hosts announce exactly when voting opens and closes during the live broadcast, so it’s worth staying tuned in rather than trying to guess the timing.
This narrow window has drawn criticism from within the show itself. Judge Anton Du Beke has publicly said he’d prefer voting to stay open for the full week, pointing out that many fans watch on iPlayer rather than live and lose the chance to vote for their favorite couple under the current system. As of now, though, the show has kept the short Saturday-night window rather than extending it.
What Happens to the Lowest-Scoring Couples?
The two couples with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes go into Sunday’s dance-off, where they each perform one more time for the judges alone. The judges then decide which couple stays and which one leaves the competition that week.
The judging panel, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, votes on which couple to save, and if the panel splits evenly, a designated judge holds the casting vote. For seven years that tie-breaking role belonged solely to head judge Shirley Ballas, but the show shifted to an alternating system during its most recent series, rotating which judge holds the casting vote from week to week. Whether that format carries into the new series hasn’t been confirmed as of this writing.
Why Did Strictly Come Dancing Voting Change From Phone to Online-Only?
Strictly Come Dancing voting moved to online-only after the BBC’s phone provider, BT, ended premium-rate voting services for broadcasters in early 2025. The BBC confirmed the shift ahead of that year’s series, noting that most viewers were already voting online rather than by phone.
A BBC spokesperson described the old phone-in system as outdated and costly to maintain, since the overwhelming majority of votes for the previous series had already been cast online rather than by calling in. Not everyone welcomed the change. Some longtime viewers, particularly older fans less comfortable navigating apps and websites, pushed back publicly when the show first announced the switch, arguing it made voting harder for part of the audience the show has always relied on.
How Many Times Can You Vote on Strictly Come Dancing?
The BBC hasn’t published a fixed per-person vote limit the way some other talent shows do, and Strictly’s online voting system is generally structured around one vote per BBC account per week rather than unlimited repeat voting. This is a meaningful difference from shows like American Idol, which explicitly allow viewers to vote up to ten times per method across multiple platforms.
If you’re used to shows that let you rack up dozens of votes for a single favorite, Strictly’s model works differently: it’s built more around getting as many individual viewers to vote once each, rather than encouraging a smaller group of superfans to vote repeatedly.
Strictly Come Dancing Voting for the Grand Final
For the Grand Final, Strictly Come Dancing voting works differently than during the regular season: the judges’ scores become purely advisory, and the winner is decided entirely by the public vote. Whichever couple receives the most viewer votes on Grand Final night takes home the Glitterball Trophy, regardless of how the judges scored their final routines.
Finalists typically perform three dances on the night, a judges’ pick redoing an earlier routine, a showdance, and their own favorite dance from the series, before the winner is revealed. Karen Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu won the most recent series’ Glitterball Trophy in December 2025, with the winner decided by public vote after the judges’ scores were set aside for that final round.
Who’s on Strictly Come Dancing in 2026?
The 2026 series brings a major shift both on and off the dance floor: longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have exited, replaced by a new hosting lineup of Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe, and Josh Widdicombe. The judging panel, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, remains unchanged heading into the new series.
Several professional dancers are confirmed to return, including Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Johannes Radebe, and Vito Coppola, though Johannes taking on co-hosting duties has raised questions about whether he’ll also dance this series. Some new professionals were expected to be announced closer to launch. Celebrity casting details had also started circulating ahead of the new series, though full official confirmation from the BBC typically doesn’t land until closer to the show’s September start.
FAQ
How do I vote on Strictly Come Dancing?
Go to bbc.co.uk/strictly or scan the on-screen QR code during the Saturday live show, sign in with a free BBC account, and select your favorite couple once voting opens.
Do I need to pay to vote on Strictly Come Dancing?
No. Voting is free through the BBC’s online system, replacing the old premium-rate phone lines that were retired in early 2025.
When does Strictly Come Dancing voting open?
Voting opens after every couple has performed on Saturday’s live show and stays open for a short window, historically around 25 minutes, before closing ahead of Sunday’s results show.
Can I vote on Strictly Come Dancing without a BBC account?
No. A free BBC account is required under the current online-only voting system, but it only needs to be set up once for the whole series.
Why did Strictly Come Dancing stop phone voting?
The BBC ended phone-in voting after its provider, BT, stopped offering premium-rate voting services for broadcasters in early 2025, and most votes were already being cast online anyway.
What happens to the two lowest-scoring couples each week?
They compete in Sunday’s dance-off, performing once more for the judges, who then decide which couple stays in the competition.
Does the public vote decide the Strictly Come Dancing winner?
Yes, but only in the Grand Final. During the regular series, votes combine with judges’ scores, but on Final night, the judges’ scores become advisory and the public vote alone decides the winner.
Who has the casting vote if the judges disagree in the dance-off?
Historically, head judge Shirley Ballas held the deciding vote for seven years, though the show shifted to a rotating casting-vote system among the four judges during its most recent series.
Can I vote for a couple more than once per week?
Strictly’s online system is generally built around one vote per account per week, unlike some talent shows that allow repeated voting across multiple methods.
Who won the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing?
Karen Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu won the Glitterball Trophy in the Grand Final, held in December 2025.
