How to watch Strictly Come Dancing online and stream the new series from anywhere

Get those sequins out and pull on your dancing shoes as we head to the ballroom for series nineteen of Strictly Come Dancing. This page will tell you the need to know on the celebrity lineup, new judging panel and how to watch Strictly Come Dancing online with a free live stream from anywhere.

Watch Strictly Come Dancing online

When: Saturday nights from September 18

Channel: BBC One

Time: 7.45pm BST

Free UK stream: watch BBC iPlayer for FREE

Watch anywhere: try the top VPN around 100% risk-free

After the pandemic wreaked havoc with the show last year, Strictly will return to its usual thirteen week format in 2021 - and the themed Halloween dances are making a come back too. Unfortunately, no one will be waltzing their way to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom though, with all episodes being filmed in the Elstree Studios.

However, the Saturday night show - which has been on our screens since 2004 if you can believe it - is set for many firsts this year. Eastender's actress, Rose Ayling-Ellis, will be the first deaf contestant to don a ball gown and John Whaite will be one half of the first male couple on the show. Plus, Anton Du Beke will be cha cha cha-ing his way into Bruno Tonioli's Italian leather brogues to complete the judging panel.

To find out how to tune in with hosts Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman - who will be there to celebrate those tens and offer a socially distanced handhold if nerves creep in - keep reading. We'll be telling you how to watch Strictly Come Dancing online from anywhere with a free live stream.

Don't miss: how to watch Physical

watch Strictly Come Dancing online free uk

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing online FREE in the UK

The Strictly Come Dancing launch show airs on Saturday, September 18 at 7.45pm BST on BBC One. The pre-recorded show will see the celebrities pair up with their professional partners ahead of the live shows, which start the following week on Saturday, September 25 at 7pm BST.

What's more, you can watch on BBC iPlayer which is completely free to stream live online or catch up on the shows that you miss. That way you won't miss a second of the ballroom and Latin action from the Ballroom.

Remember, whether you're watching online or on your TV you should have a valid TV license when tuning into Strictly.

If you're not in the UK, use a VPN to stream your favourite BBC shows online from anywhere as if you were at home.

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing online from outside your country

For anyone abroad right now who still wants to experience the glitz and glam of Strictly, you might struggle from outside of the UK. But don't let geo-restrictions come between you and your weekly fix of ballroom dancing.

Simply downloading and installing a VPN to your device will let you watch Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC iPlayer from anywhere. A VPN effectively tricks your device into thinking it's in another location by changing the IP address to elsewhere in the world.

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
Our experts have tried and tested some of the best VPNs on the market so you don't have to and recommend ExpressVPN as their top pick. Not only is it one of the fastest and easiest to use, but this VPN is compatible with a whole host of devices, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Xbox, Playstation, and iOS and Android devices.

Get an extra 3 months completely FREE when you sign up for an annual Express VPN plan now. If you're not happy with the service within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Three simple steps to using a VPN to watch Strictly Come Dancing

1. Download and install a VPN - we recommend ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the relevant server location - launch the VPN app, click on 'choose location' and select the right location i.e. UK for iPlayer

3. Head to the chosen broadcaster's live stream - in this case, head to the BBC iPlayer

Unmissable sport: how to watch Champions League

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

The Strictly Come Dancing spin off show, It Takes Two, will return this month to curb that Strictly fever between live shows. Last year the show aired every night during the week but this year we could see the show scaled back to just two nights a week instead.

BBC has not yet released the schedule for the weeknight show, however it usually airs around 6pm on BBC Two - or you can watch for free on the iPlayer of course. We'll keep this section updated when more accurate times are released.

After a ten year stint on the show, Zoe Ball won't be returning in 2021. But fear not, the tea time show is in safe hands, with Ball's co-presenter, Rylan Clark-Neal, and long established professional dancer, Janette Marara, taking over presenting duties on It Takes Two this year.

The sideshow is usually packed with training footage, interviews, opinions from the judges and much more, so for unseen behind the scenes extras, it's worth tuning in.

Strictly Come Dancing contestants 2021

The fifteen celebrity contestants taking to the dance floor in the quest to claim the glitterball trophy include comedians, musicians, an Olympic gold medalist and more. Here's the full lineup:

Ugo Monye (former rugby player and broadcaster)
Judie Love (comedian and TV presenter)
Adam Peaty (Olympic swimmer)
Rose Ayling-Ellis (actress)
Nina Wadia (actress and comedienne)
Greg Wise (actor)
Tilly Ramsay (chef and social media star)
Dan Walker (presenter)
Katie McGlynn (actress)
Sara Davies (business entrepreneur and TV personality)
Rhys Stephenson (actor and children's TV presenter)
John Whaite (chef)
AJ Odudu (TV presenter)
Robert Webb (comedian)
Tom Fletcher (musician and author)

Strictly Come Dancing professionals 2021

Four new professionals are being welcomed to the Strictly family in 2021 to fill the dancing shoes of Anton Du Beke and Janette Manrara, who are stepping off the dance floor but staying in the Strictly family. Below are all of the professional dancers in this year's series:

Jowita Przystal
Kai Widdrington
Nikita Kuzmin
Cameron Lombard
Aljaz Skorjanec
Giovanni Pernice
Gorka Marquez
Graziano Di Prima
Johannes Radebe
Neil Jones
Amy Dowden
Dianne Buswell
Karen Hauer
Katya Jones
Luba Mustuk
Nadiya Bychkova
Oti Mabuse
Nancu Xu

Strictly Come Dancing judges 2021

Unfortunately, the Italian flare of Bruno Tonioli will be missing from this year's Strictly Come Dancing due to travel restrictions. However, the show's longest-serving professional dancer, Anton Du Beke, is set to take his place. Below is the full judging panel:

Anton Du Beke
Shirley Ballas
Motsi Mabuse
Craig Revel Horwood

Covid rules for Strictly Come Dancing 2021

Although the country is well on its way back to normality (touch wood), the Strictly producers aren't taking any risks and have Covid-19 measures in place again in 2021.

This time around anyone working on the show will be tested weekly and professional dancers will bubble up with their celebrities like last year.

The group numbers for the series have already been filmed and there will be no group chats with Claudia and Tess, with couples sat in the audience instead, which will also be of limited numbers.

The shortened isolation period after a positive test from fourteen days to ten should help the show to run smoother. Last year a positive test meant that the first same-sex couple on the show, Nicola Adams and Katya Jones, had to leave the competition early. However, the new rules should allow anyone that does test positive to miss a single week of live shows rather than end their time in the ballroom entirely.