A new Strictly spin-off show for the 2026 series has been revealed by the BBC.
Strictly: Lights Up is a brand new companion show hosted by comedian Abi Clarke and presenter Tyler West.
It will air exclusively on BBC iPlayer every Sunday night, immediately following the main programme’s results show.
The series promises to take fans "straight on to the Strictly dance floor" for immediate reactions from the eliminated couple, their dance-off opponents, judges, hosts, and studio guests.
BBC reveals new Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show Lights Up
Sarah James, senior executive producer for BBC Studios, said: "With Strictly's iPlayer audience growing year on year, this is the perfect time to announce a range of new exclusives that will bring viewers closer to Strictly than ever before.
"Hosted by the brilliant Abi and Tyler, Lights Up will be a post-results show like no other, taking you straight on to the Strictly dancefloor for all of the immediate reaction that previously remained unseen.
"Across the main shows, BBC iPlayer, and Strictly socials, there's never been so much for Strictly fans to enjoy."
As well as the new spin-off, BBC iPlayer will also introduce a dedicated Strictly hub.
The hub will host all things Strictly, including a range of new exclusives.
Among the new content is a series of weekly training room episodes, which will see Abi Clarke visit different couples during rehearsals.
A new highlights show will also round up each week’s action.
Every dance of the series will be available to watch individually on-demand.
For the first time, episodes will feature chapters allowing viewers to jump between couples and relive their favourite moments.
Strictly: Lights Up begins on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 4 October, when the first of this year’s celebrity couples will be eliminated from the competition.
Get all of the latest Strictly Come Dancing news and updates in our guide here.
What are the pairings for Strictly 2026?
Strictly Come Dancing returned last weekend (September 19) for its 2026 launch show.
In it, the pairings for the new series were revealed, which are:
- Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
- Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
- Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
- Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
- Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
- John Nellis and Katya Jones
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
- Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell
- Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
- Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
Strictly Come Dancing’s launch episode attracted a peak of 5.8 million viewers, the BBC has said.
Saturday’s episode of the dancing show saw 200,000 more viewers at its peak than last year’s launch show, according to the BBC’s overnight figures.
It saw an average of 5.3 million viewers, with a share of 49.2%, which was 7% higher than last year, with the BBC claiming it saw more than four million extra viewers than any other show on TV at the same time.
The BBC said the figures were not the “full picture of all those who watch”, with Saturday’s episode of Strictly currently number one on the iPlayer’s most popular chart.
Strictly will return for its first live show of the new series next Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
What do you think of the new Strictly spin-off show? Let us know in the comments.
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