Strictly Come Dancing has suffered a setback following the thrilling climax of the 2024 season. Throughout the recent string of episodes - which compiled the 22nd season of the long-running BBC dance show - ratings have struggled compared to earlier years. And it seems the grand finale was no different - limping in the viewership records behind past iterations of the show.
Strictly 2024 got off to a weak start back in September with the launch episode pulling in just 7.1million viewers - down from the 7.8 million viewers that watched the 2023 launch. And while numbers have improved for the finale - which was won by comedian Chris McCausland and his dance partner Dianne Buswell - they were still down.
According to reports, the last episode of the season attracted a peak viewership of 9.3 million, but with an average viewership of 8.6 million. Last year, the 2024 season - won by Coronation Street star Ellie Leach and dancer Vito Coppola - pulled in a peak of 9.7 million and average of 8.8 million.
However, the BBC has reported that circulated viewing figures are not accurate. A spokesperson said: "Last night the Strictly Come Dancing final was watched by 9.6million people at its peak, 8.6million people watched on average, with a share of 58.5% of the audience. It is also worth noting that overnights no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch in an on demand world, and our 28 day consolidated figures will provide a more accurate representation of how many people tuned in to the Strictly final. It was the highest overnight share on record for a Strictly final.
