Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...

'' returned for its sixth series on 20 September 2008 on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series ''Sunday Night ...

and

Tess Daly Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English model and television presenter who co-presented the BBC One celebrity dancing show ''Strictly Come Dancing'' from 2004 to 2013; she has been the show's main presenter since 2014. ...

returned as co-presenters of the main show on BBC One, whilst

Claudia Winkleman Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman (born 15 January 1972) is an English television presenter, radio personality, film critic and journalist. Between 2004 and 2010, she presented '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' on weeknights on BBC Two. Since ...

returned to present spin-off show '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood (born 4 January 1965) is an Australian-British author, dancer, choreographer, conductor, theatre director, and former drag queen in the United Kingdom. He is also a patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Horwood is best k ...

Arlene Phillips Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, talent scout, television judge and presenter, theatre director, and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment. For many years, she was most noted as the c ...

Len Goodman Leonard Gordon Goodman (born 25 April 1944) is an English professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He has appeared as head judge on the television dance programmes ''Strictly Come Dancing'', a programme where various celebrities c ...

and

Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli (; born 25 November 1955) is an Italian choreographer, ballroom and Latin dancer, and Television personality. He has appeared as a judge on the British television dance competition ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and American adaptation ...

returned as judges. The show featured 16 celebrities (two more than the previous series) who were paired with 16 professional dancers. The new professionals were

Brian Fortuna Brian Fortuna (born September 20, 1982) is an American professional ballroom dancer, choreographer and Teacher, instructor. Biography Brian Fortuna is currently starring in Theatre Production's Limited ''Over the Rainbow'' as Danny Cassidy. H ...

and

Hayley Holt Hayley Doreen Holt (born 3 July 1980) is a New Zealand television presenter and former snowboarder and ballroom dancer, who presents sports news on 1 News At 6pm. She co-presented TVNZ ''Breakfast'' from 2018 to 2020 alongside Jack Tame and l ...

, who had previously appeared in the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and New Zealand versions of the show respectively, and Russian dancer

Kristina Rihanoff Kristina Rihanoff (russian: Кристина Пшеничных,: Kristina Pshenichnykh; born 22 September 1977) is a world finalist professional ballroom dancer, instructor, choreographer and author. She has a degree in Tourism and Hospitali ...

, who had taken part in the

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

tour.

Nicole Cutler Nicole Cutler (née Westdyk; born 8 June 1972) is a professional ballroom dancer and former World Amateur Latin-American champion. She was born Nicole Westdyk in Durban, South Africa and after taking up ballet at the age of four, first tried out ba ...

was the only professional from the previous series not to return. On 20 December 2008, actor Tom Chambers and his professional partner,

Camilla Dallerup Camilla Sacre-Dallerup (born 6 April 1974) is a Danish author, life coach, hypnotherapist and former ballroom dancer. Dance career Dallerup was born in Aalborg, where she started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to ...

were crowned series champions. This was the last series to feature Phillips on the judging panel, as she was controversially replaced by series 5 winner

Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded in ...

for the seventh series until 2011.

Format

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten (with four judges giving a maximum score of forty). 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 will 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 Goodman (as head judge) having the last and

casting vote A casting vote is a vote that someone may exercise to resolve a tied vote in a deliberative body. A casting vote is typically by the presiding officer of a council, legislative body, committee, etc., and may only be exercised to break a deadlock ...

. However, the situation was different on 13 December 2008, the semi-final, when it was announced in the live results show that all three remaining couples would be going through to the final, regardless of the judges' scores and the public vote. This was due to a tie at the top of the leaderboard, which made it mathematically impossible for Tom Chambers and

to avoid the dance-off. Despite this, viewers were encouraged to vote, although the problem was noticed by the start of the results show, which was shortened by 10 minutes. All phone votes cast were carried on to the following Saturday, the final. Since then, the system has been modified, so instead of having a traditional tie structure for points, such as 3–3–1 (as was the case here), the system 3–3–2 is now used. This therefore ensures that each couple can mathematically avoid the bottom two.

Couples

This year there were 16 couples: 8 male celebrities and 8 female celebrities.

Scoring chart

Average chart

This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 40-points scale

Highest and lowest scoring performances

The best and worst performances in each dance according to the judges' scores are as follows:

Weekly scores and songs

''Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right:

.''

Week 1

Musical guest:

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

—"

Wind Beneath My Wings "Wind Beneath My Wings" (sometimes titled "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Hero") is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley. The song was first recorded by Kamahl in 1982 for a country and western album he was recording. Kamahl talk ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Phil & Flavia *Phillips: Phil & Flavia *Tonioli: Don & Lilia *Goodman: Don & Lilia

Week 2

Musical guest:

Sugababes Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...

—"

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Jodie & Ian *Phillips: Jodie & Ian *Toniolil: Jodie & Ian *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jodie & Ian.''

Week 3

Musical guest:

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

—"

Canto della Terra "Canto della Terra" is an Italian song which was the second single from Italian pop tenor Andrea Bocelli's 1999 album, ''Sogno''. The song was written by composer Francesco Sartori and lyricist Lucio Quarantotto, the same writers of Bocelli's bi ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Mark & Hayley *Phillips: Mark & Hayley *Tonioli: Mark & Hayley *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Mark & Hayley.''

Week 4

Musical guest:

Simply Red Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the ...

—"

Something Got Me Started "Something Got Me Started" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the first single from their fourth album, ''Stars'' (1991). It was released in several forms — a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single, and a CD version, ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Heather & Brian *Phillips: Heather & Brian *Tonioli: Heather & Brian *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jessie & Darren.''

Week 5

Musical guests:

—"

The Boy Does Nothing "The Boy Does Nothing" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It is the lead single from her second studio album, ''The Alesha Show'' (2008). The song was written by Alesha along with the help of Brian Higgins, Miranda C ...

Katherine Jenkins Katherine Maria Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns.Darcey Bussell Dame Darcey Andrea Bussell, (born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle; 27 April 1969) is an English retired ballerina and a former judge on the BBC television dance contest '' Strictly Come Dancing''. Trained at the Arts Educational Sc ...

—"Viva Tonight" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Heather & Brian *Phillips: Heather & Brian *Tonioli: Heather & Brian *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Don & Lilia.''

Week 6

Musical guests:

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...

—"

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Andrew & Ola *Phillips: Andrew & Ola *Tonioli: Andrew & Ola *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Andrew & Ola.''

Week 7

Musical guest:

Stereophonics Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley, Wales. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocals), Adam Zind ...

—"

Handbags and Gladrags "Handbags and Gladrags" is a song written in 1967 by Mike d'Abo, who was then the lead singer of Manfred Mann. D'Abo describes the song as "saying to a teenage girl that the way to happiness is not through being trendy. There are deeper values. ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Heather & Brian *Phillips: Heather & Brian *Tonioli: Heather & Brian *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Heather & Brian.''

Week 8

Musical guest: Beyonce—"

If I Were a Boy "If I Were a Boy" is a song written by BC Jean and Toby Gad and originally performed by Jean in 2008. The song gained international attention the same year in a version by the American singer Beyoncé, from her third studio album '' I Am... Sa ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Rachel & Vincent *Phillips: Rachel & Vincent *Tonioli: Rachel & Vincent *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Rachel & Vincent.''

Week 9

;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Lisa & Brendan *Phillips: Lisa & Brendan *Tonioli: Cherie & James *Goodman: Lisa & Brendan

Week 10

;Running order *John & Kristina withdrew from the show earlier in the week, and therefore only appeared on the show to say farewell. ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Lisa & Brendan *Phillips: Lisa & Brendan *Tonioli: Lisa & Brendan *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Lisa & Brendan.''

Week 11

*Musical guest: Estelle—"

American Boy "American Boy” is a song by British singer and rapper Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West from the former's second studio album '' Shine'' (2008). The song was written by the artists, alongside Ethan Hendrickson, will.i.am, John Leg ...

" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Rachel & Vincent *Phillips: Rachel & Vincent *Tonioli: Rachel & Vincent *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Rachel & Vincent.''

Week 12: Quarter-final

*Musical guest:

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

—" Copacabana" ;Running order ;Judges' votes to save *Horwood: Lisa & Brendan *Phillips: Lisa & Brendan *Tonioli: Lisa & Brendan *Goodman: ''Did not vote, but would have voted to save Lisa & Brendan.''

Week 13: Semi-final

*Musical guest: Cast of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

—" All That Jazz" ;Running order

Week 14: The Final

*Musical guest: Duffy—"

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...

" ;Running order

Dance chart

: Highest scoring dance : Lowest scoring dance *Week 1 – Cha-Cha-Cha or Waltz (male celebrities only), Group Cha-Cha-Cha (female celebrities only) *Week 2 – Salsa or Foxtrot (female celebrities only), Group Merengue (male celebrities only) *Week 3 – Jive or Tango (male celebrities only), Group Swing Dance (female celebrities only) *Week 4 – Rumba or Quickstep (female celebrities only), Group Rueda (male celebrities only) *Week 5 – Samba or American Smooth *Week 6 – Paso Doble or Viennese Waltz *Weeks 7–10 – One unlearned dance *Weeks 11 & 12 – Two unlearned dances *Week 13 – Argentine Tango and one re-choreographed routine in a previously performed style. *Week 14: Final – favourite Ballroom, favourite Latin, Group Viennese Waltz, and Freestyle.

Ratings

Weekly ratings for each show on

. All numbers are in millions and provided by BARB. Series average excludes the launch show.

References

External links

*
''Strictly Come Dancing news, gossip, reviews''
at Unreality TV {{Strictly Come Dancing Season 06 2008 British television seasons