Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eighth series on BBC One with a red carpet launch show on 11 September 2010, and the competitive live shows began on 1 October. According to BARB data, this series was the consistently highest-rated of the show to date, peaking at 14.28 million viewers.
Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One. For the results show, Daly was joined by Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two presenter Claudia Winkleman. Alesha Dixon, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli all returned as judges.
Three professional dancers from the last series did not return for this series: Matthew Cutler, Brian Fortuna and Lilia Kopylova. Darren Bennett and Ian Waite did not receive celebrity partners but were featured in a newly introduced, dedicated "showdance troupe" that performed special group routines during the live shows. Three new professionals joined this series: Artem Chigvintsev, Jared Murillo, and Robin Windsor. For the eighth series, the set was totally revamped: the backstage room where scores were given was replaced by a tower above the dance floor so that the couples could watch as their teammates performed. During week 8, the live show was transmitted from the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower.
The celebrities did not know their professional partners until they were introduced to each other at the launch show. The series concluded on 18 December when EastEnders actress Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev were announced as the winners, while television presenter Matt Baker and Aliona Vilani finished in second place, and psychologist Pamela Stephenson and James Jordan finished in third.
Format
The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. 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 couple with the fewest points is eliminated from the competition. The dance-off feature, where the judges choose which couple to save based on a final dance, was not utilised in this series. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence.
Couples
This series featured fourteen celebrity contestants. Celebrity Notability Professional partner Status Goldie Musician & DJ Kristina Rihanoff Eliminated 1ston 10 October 2010 Paul Daniels Magician Ola Jordan Eliminated 2ndon 17 October 2010 Peter Shilton England goalkeeper Erin Boag Eliminated 3rdon 24 October 2010 Tina O'Brien Coronation Street actress Jared Murillo Eliminated 4thon 31 October 2010 Jimi Mistry Film & television actor Flavia Cacace Eliminated 5thon 7 November 2010 Michelle Williams Destiny's Child singer Brendan Cole Eliminated 6thon 14 November 2010 Felicity Kendal Stage & screen actress Vincent Simone Eliminated 7thon 21 November 2010 Patsy Kensit Film & television actress Robin Windsor Eliminated 8thon 28 November 2010 Ann Widdecombe Conservative Party politician Anton Du Beke Eliminated 9thon 5 December 2010 Gavin Henson Wales rugby player Katya Virshilas Eliminated 10th & 11thon 12 December 2010 Scott Maslen EastEnders & The Bill actor Natalie Lowe Comedian & psychologist James Jordan Third placeon 18 December 2010 Matt Baker Television presenter Aliona Vilani Runners-upon 18 December 2010 Kara Tointon EastEnders actress Artem Chigvintsev Winnerson 18 December 2010
Dance troupe The members of the dance troupe included Darren Bennett & Crystal Main, Ian Waite & Aneta Piotrowska, and Shem Jacobs & Tanya Perera.
The dance troupe performed the following: Launch show: Quickstep and jive, "Ballroom Blitz" — Sweet Week 2: Quickstep, "Hey, Soul Sister" — Train Week 5: Viennese waltz, "Never Tear Us Apart" — INXS Week 6: Rock 'n' Roll, "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here to Stay" — Danny and the Juniors, "Roll Over Beethoven" — Chuck Berry & "Shake, Rattle And Roll" — Bill Haley Week 7: Paso doble, "Radio" — Alesha Dixon Week 10: ABBA medley ("Mamma Mia", "Lay All Your Love on Me" & "Take a Chance on Me") Week 11: Paso doble, "Fire With Fire" — Scissor Sisters
Scoring chart The highest score each week is indicated in with a dagger (), while the lowest score each week is indicated in with a double-dagger ().
Color key:
+Strictly Come Dancing (series 8) - Weekly scores Couple Week 1 2 1+2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kara & Artem 1st 30 62 31 32 37 38 35 34 38 39+5+39= 39+36=75 +38+37= Matt & Aliona 2nd 31 62 31 34 35 35 33 35 28+4+38=70 38+34= +35+37= Pamela & James 3rd 34 27 33 32 37 35+3+40=78 40+37= Scott & Natalie 4th 29 61 34 28 32 31 35 33+2+35=70 Gavin & Katya 5th 28 19 47 22 23 26 29 33 27 22 33 27+1+31= Ann & Anton 6th 17 18 21 Patsy & Robin 7th 22 28 50 24 28 31 29 32 28 30 Felicity & Vincent 8th 23 25 48 29 29 26 29 26 30 9th 24 26 50 24 27 29 30 24 Jimi & Flavia 10th 26 30 56 25 27 30 32 Tina & Jared 11th 24 26 50 29 28 Peter & Erin 12th 21 17 38 26 Paul & Ola 13th 21 37 Goldie & Kristina 14th 20 26 46 Notes
Average chart This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 40-point scale. Couple Rank byaverage Totalpoints Number ofdances Totalaverage Kara & Artem 1st 571 16 35.7 Pamela & James 2nd 491 14 35.1 Matt & Aliona 3rd 548 16 34.3 Scott & Natalie 4th 402 12 33.5 Jimi & Flavia 5th 170 6 28.3 Patsy & Robin 6th 252 9 28.0 Felicity & Vincent 7th 217 8 27.1 Tina & Jared 8th 107 4 26.8 Gavin & Katya 9th 320 12 26.7 Michelle & Brendan 10th 184 7 26.3 Goldie & Kristina 11th 46 2 23.0 Peter & Erin 12th 81 4 20.3 Paul & Ola 13th 53 3 17.7 Ann & Anton 14th 162 10 16.2
Weekly scores Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli.
Week 1 Half of the couples performed on the first night and the other half performed on the second night. Couples performed either the cha-cha-cha or the waltz. There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Night 1 (Friday) Couple Scores Dance Music Felicity & Vincent 23 (4, 5, 7, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Sunny" — Bobby Hebb Scott & Natalie 29 (6, 7, 8, 8) Waltz "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" — Aretha Franklin Goldie & Kristina 20 (3, 6, 6, 5) Cha-cha-cha "Tik Tok" — Ke$ha Patsy & Robin 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) Waltz "When I Need You" — Leo Sayer Matt & Aliona 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" — Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Pamela & James31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Waltz "If I Ain't Got You" — Alicia Keys Paul & Ola 16 (2, 5, 5, 4) Cha-cha-cha "Could It Be Magic" — Take That
Night 2 (Saturday) Musical guests: Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow — "Shame" Couple Scores Dance Music Jimi & Flavia 26 (6, 7, 6, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Don't Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)" — Noisettes Peter & Erin 21 (4, 6, 6, 5) Waltz "Take It to the Limit" — Eagles Michelle & Brendan 24 (5, 6, 7, 6) Cha-cha-cha "Stone Cold Sober" — Paloma Faith Gavin & Katya 28 (6, 8, 7, 7) Waltz "You Light Up My Life" — Debby Boone Tina & Jared 24 (5, 7, 6, 6) Cha-cha-cha "California Gurls" — Katy Perry, feat. Snoop Dogg Ann & Anton 17 (2, 5, 5, 5) Waltz "My Cherie" — Al Martino Kara & Artem 30 (7, 8, 8, 7) Cha-cha-cha "I Like It" — Enrique Iglesias, feat. Pitbull
Week 2 Musical guest: Robbie Williams — "Rock DJ"
Couples performed either the foxtrot or the salsa, and are listed in the order they performed. Couple Scores Dance Music Result Matt & Aliona 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) Foxtrot "She Said" — Plan B Safe Peter & Erin 17 (3, 5, 5, 4) Salsa "Mambo No.5" — Perez Prado Bottom two Tina & Jared 26 (6, 6, 7, 7) Foxtrot "On the Sunny Side of the Street" — Frankie Laine Safe Patsy & Robin 28 (7, 7, 7, 7) Salsa "Canned Heat" — Jamiroquai Safe Paul & Ola 21 (4, 6, 6, 5) Foxtrot "Lady Luck" — Brian Setzer Safe Scott & Natalie 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) Salsa "Let's Hear It for the Boy" — Deniece Williams Safe Michelle & Brendan 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) Foxtrot "It Had to Be You" — Harry Connick Jr. Safe Goldie & Kristina26 (6, 7, 7, 6) Foxtrot "This Business of Love" — Domino Eliminated Pamela & James 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) Salsa "Dr. Beat" — Gloria Estefan Safe Felicity & Vincent 25 (6, 6, 6, 7) Foxtrot "Somethin' Stupid" — Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra Safe Ann & Anton 12 (1, 4, 4, 3) Salsa "Mambo Italiano" — Dean Martin Safe Kara & Artem 32 (7, 8, 9, 8) Foxtrot "From Russia with Love" — Matt Monro Safe Gavin & Katya 19 (3, 6, 5, 5) Salsa "Don't Stop the Music" — Rihanna Safe Jimi & Flavia 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) Foxtrot "Fever" — Peggy Lee Safe
Week 3 Musical guest: Peter Andre — "Defender"
Tina O'Brien was unable to perform due to an illness. Under the rules of the show, she was granted a bye to the following week.
Couples performed either the quickstep or the rumba, and are listed in the order they performed. Couple Scores Dance Music Result Kara & Artem 31 (8, 8, 8, 7) Quickstep "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" — Jet Safe Felicity & Vincent 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) Rumba "True Colors" — Cyndi Lauper Safe Patsy & Robin 24 (5, 6, 7, 6) Quickstep "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" — KT Tunstall Safe Paul & Ola 16 (2, 5, 5, 4) Rumba "Take a Bow" — Rihanna Eliminated Matt & Aliona 31 (8, 7, 8, 8) Quickstep "Dreaming of You" — The Coral Safe Gavin & Katya 22 (3, 6, 7, 6) Rumba "Always on My Mind" — Elvis Presley Safe Scott & Natalie 34 (8, 8, 9, 9) Quickstep "I Wan'na Be Like You" — Louis Prima Safe Michelle & Brendan 24 (4, 6, 7, 7) Rumba "Wicked Game" — Chris Isaak Bottom two Peter & Erin 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) Quickstep "Lullaby of Broadway" — Tony Bennett Safe Jimi & Flavia 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) Rumba "Ain't No Sunshine" — Bill Withers Safe Ann & Anton 18 (3, 5, 5, 5) Quickstep "Puttin' On the Ritz" — Fred Astaire Safe Pamela & James 35 (9, 8, 9, 9) Rumba "Make You Feel My Love" — Adele Safe
Week 4 Musical guest: Neil Diamond — "Midnight Train to Georgia"
Ian Waite filled in for Brendan Cole, who was attending his father's funeral.
Couples performed either the Charleston or the tango, and are listed in the order they performed. Couple Scores Dance Music Result Jimi & Flavia 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) Charleston "Do Your Thing" — Basement Jaxx Safe Scott & Natalie 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) Tango "Allegretto" — Bond Safe Tina & Jared 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) Charleston "You Give a Little Love" — from Bugsy Malone Safe Felicity & Vincent 29 (7, 7, 7, 8) Tango "Czardas" — Monti Safe Patsy & Robin 28 (6, 8, 7, 7) Charleston "Hot Honey Rag" — from Chicago Safe Gavin & Katya 23 (5, 6, 6, 6) Tango "Toxic" — Britney Spears Safe Peter & Erin 17 (2, 5, 6, 4) Charleston "Cabaret" — Liza Minnelli Eliminated Pamela & James 34 (8, 8, 9, 9) Tango "Love Is the Drug" — Roxy Music Safe Matt & Aliona 35 (9, 9, 9, 8) Charleston "42nd Street" — from 42nd Street Safe Michelle & Ian 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) Tango "Killer" — Adamski & Seal Bottom two Kara & Artem 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) Charleston "Put a Lid on It" — Squirrel Nut Zippers Safe Ann & Anton 21 (3, 7, 6, 5) Tango "La cumparsita" — Gerardo Matos Rodríguez Safe
Week 5: Halloween Week Musical guest: Alice Cooper — "Poison"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.