Let's Dance is a German dance competition television series that premiered on April 3, 2006, on RTL and filmed live in Cologne. The show is based on the British reality TV competition Strictly Come Dancing and is part of the Dancing with the Stars franchise.
The format of the show consists of a celebrity paired with a professional dancer. Each couple performs predetermined dances and competes against the others for judges' points and audience votes. The couple receiving the lowest combined total of judges' points and audience votes is eliminated each week until only the champion dance pair remains.
Format Celebrities dance in the programs with a professional or successful tournament dancer in several dances. At the end of each performance, each jury member gives a score between one and ten. Which couples on the next Let's Dance show will participate and which not, will be determined by the jury rating and the audience, who can vote for their favorites by telephone at the end of the program. The last placed in the jury evaluation receives one point, the penultimate two points and so on. The same applies to the placements of the audience rating. The organizer does not publish the results of the audience rating, numbers of callers or ranking list. The highest placed person receives as many points as there are still couples in the race in the respective episode. Jury and spectator ratings are added together, the pair with the fewest points is eliminated. If there are several last-placed couples with the same rating, the couple with the lowest audience rating will be eliminated.
Cast
Hosts Nazan Eckes has been the host for seasons one to three. In season one and two, her co-host was Hape Kerkeling and in season three Daniel Hartwich. Between season four and ten Hartwich has been presenting alongside Sylvie Meis. The program is currently hosted by Hartwich and Austrian singer and former winner Victoria Swarovski. Daniel Hartwich was replaced by Oliver Geissen in the first regular show of season 11 and by Jan Köppen in fifth regular show and the final of season 15. Victoria Swarovski was replaced by Laura Wontorra in the quarter-final of season 19.
Colour key
Presenter Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Daniel Hartwich Sylvie Meis Victoria Swarovski
Judging panel The judges in season one were Michael Hull, Markus Schöffl, Katarina Witt and Joachim Llambi. In season two Ute Lemper replaced Katarina Witt. The judges in season three were Harald Glööckler, Peter Kraus, Isabel Edvardsson and Joachim Llambi. In season four Roman Frieling replaced Peter Kraus and Motsi Mabuse replaced Isabel Edvardsson. In season five Maite Kelly replaced Harald Glööckler. From season six onwards, the judges are Jorge González, Motsi Mabuse and Joachim Llambi. Dieter Bohlen filled in for Ute Lemper for the season 2 final. Joachim Llambi was replaced by Rúrik Gíslason in the season 15 launch show.
Colour key
Judge Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Joachim Llambi Markus Schöffl Katarina Witt Michael Hull Ute Lemper Isabel Edvardsson Peter Kraus Harald Glööckler Motsi Mabuse Roman Frieling Maite Kelly Jorge González
Professional dancers Color key: Winner of the season Runner-up of the season Third place of the season Last place of the season Withdrew or quit in the season Still participating in the current season Bold denotes a current professional dancer. Professional dancer Season Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Season 9 Season 10 Season 11 Season 12 Season 13 Season 14 Season 15 Season 16 Season 17 Season 18 Season 19Alexandru Ionel Vanessa Neigert Alex Mariah Peter Sophia Thiel Marie Mouroum Betty TaubeAlona Uehlin Sükrü Pehlivan Anastasia Mărușter Tony Bauer Fabian Hambüchen Gustav SchäferAnastasiya Kravchenko Markus Majowski Andrzej Cibis Cheyenne Pahde Loiza Lamers Auma Obama Lilly zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Natalia Yegorova Anna Karina Mosmann Axel Bulthaupt Eralp Uzun Cathrin Hissnauer Miloš Vuković Christian Bärens Sylvie van der Vaart Christian Polanc Susan Sideropoulos Hillu Schwetje Maite Kelly Joana Zimmer Sıla Şahin Carmen Geiss Enissa Amani Nastassja Kinski Vanessa Mai Iris Mareike Steen Nazan Eckes Laura Müller Lola Weippert Michelle Sharon Battiste Sylvie van der VaartChristina Hänni Giovanni Zarrella Oliver Pocher Luca Hänni Jan Hofer Mike Singer Ali Güngörmüş Osan Yaran Christine Deck Ben Dirk Bastert Heike Henkel Ekaterina Leonova Paul Janke Patrice Bouédibéla Matthias Steiner Julius Brink Gil Ofarim Ingolf Lück Pascal Hens Bastian Bielendorfer Timon Krause Detlef Soost Diego Pooth Simon GosejohannErich Klann Kristina Bach Magdalena Brzeska Simone Ballack Lilly Becker Cora Schumacher Victoria Swarovski Anni Friesinger-Postma Judith Williams Sabrina Mockenhaupt Ilka Bessin Evgeny Vinokurov Evelyn Burdecki Ilse DeLange Cheyenne Ochsenknecht Simone Thomalla Anna-Carina WoitschackGennady Bondarenko Gitte Hænning Helena Kaschurow Jörn Schlönvoigt Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen Hendrik Höfken Heide Simonis Jasmin Wagner Ilia Russo Sonja Kirchberger Isabel Edvardsson Wayne Carpendale Giovane Élber Tim Lobinger Patrick Lindner Tetje Mierendorf Alexander Klaws Detlef Steves Michael Wendler Maximilian Arland Benjamin Piwko Aílton Riccardo Basile Knossi Jürgen Schlegel Margarethe Schreinemakers Kathrin Menzinger Hans Sarpei Ulli Potofski Heinrich Popow Heiko Lochmann Thomas Rath Tijan Njie Kai Ebel René Casselly Abdelkarim Mark Keller Roland Trettl Jan KittmannKatja Kalugina Ardian Bujupi Dirk Moritz Roman Lochmann Lukas Rieger Malika Dzumaev Mickie Krause Timur Ülker Younes Zarou Gabriel Kelly Ben ZuckerJoel Mattli Mariia Maksina Mimi Kraus Stefano Zarrella Ross AntonyMarius Iepure Cindy Berger Cathy Fischer Marta Arndt Lars Riedel Jörg Draeger Chakall Özcan Cosar Martin Klempnow Erol Sander Biyon Kattilathu MilanoGiovanni ZarrellaMassimo Sinató Sophia Thomalla Liliana Matthäus Rebecca Mir Manuela Wisbeck Larissa Marolt Minh-Khai Phan-Thi Jana Pallaske Angelina Kirsch Julia Dietze Barbara Becker Lili Paul-Roncalli Amira Pocher Sally Özcan Lulu Paola Maria Esther SchweinsMelissa Ortiz-Gomez Raúl Richter Moritz A. Sachs Patrick Bach Manuel Cortez Mika Tatarkin Maria Clara Groppler Motsi Mabuse Guildo Horn Rolfe Scheider Nikita Bazev Gülcan Kamps Nikita Kuzmin Sabrina Setlur Nina Uszkureit Arthur Abraham Bernd Herzsprung Oana Nechiti Jürgen Milski Alexander Leipold Ralf Bauer Eric Stehfest Faisal Kawusi Bela Klentze Oliver Seefeldt Wolke Hegenbarth Katja Ebstein Oliver Tienken Brigitte Nielsen Oti Mabuse Daniel Küblböck Niels Ruf Oxana Lebedew Attila Hildmann Pasha Zvychaynyy Kim Riekenberg Patricija Ionel Simon Zachenhuber Hardy Krüger jr. Philipp Boy Tillman Schulz Taliso Engel Willi BannerPaul Lorenz Katja Burkard Eva Padberg Regina Luca Thomas Drechsel Thomas Häßler Thomas Hermanns Kerstin Ott John Kelly Renata Lusin Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht Jan Hartmann Moritz Hans Rúrik Gíslason Mathias Mester Marc Eggers Robert Beitsch Sarah Lombardi Susi Kentikian Jessica Paszka Ulrike Frank Steffi Jones Senna Gammour Roberto Albanese Sandy Mölling Nina Bott Sarah Latton Achim Mentzel Thomas Karaoglan Marc Terenzi Balian Buschbaum Bernhard Brink Bastiaan Ragas Maximilian ArlandSascha Karabey Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen Sergiu Luca Panagiota Petridou Alessandra Meyer-Wölden Ann-Kathrin Brömmel Barbara Meier Sergiu Mărușter Leyla Lahouar Sergiy Plyuta Regina Halmich Stefanie Hertel Sofia Bogdanova Jochen Horst Stefano Terrazzino Andrea Sawatzki Mandy Capristo Marijke Amado Tatjana Kuschill Mathieu Carrière Uta Deharde Jürgen Hingsen Vadim Garbuzov Beatrice Richter Franziska Traub Chiara Ohoven Tina Ruland Nicolas Puschmann Sarah Mangione Chryssanthi Kavazi Jana Wosnitza Jeanette Biedermann Nadja BenaissaSonja KirchbergerValentin Lusin Charlotte Würdig Ella Endlich Ulrike von der Groeben Valentina Pahde Caroline Bosbach Anna Ermakova Ann-Kathrin Bendixen Christine Neubauer Sonya KrausVica Sauerwald Vanessa Borck Willi Gabalier Tanja Szewczenko Zsolt Sándor Cseke Janin Ullmann Julia Beautx Lina Larissa Strahl selfiesandra Bibi Heinicke
Series overview SeasonCouplesWeeksDuration datesPlacements Premiere FinaleFirst placeSecond placeThird place 1 88 April 3, 2006 May 21, 2006 Wayne Carpendale & Isabel Edvardsson Wolke Hegenbarth & Oliver Seefeldt Sandy Mölling & Roberto Albanese 210 May 14, 2007 June 30, 2007 Susan Sideropoulos & Christian Polanc Katja Ebstein & Oliver Seefeldt Giovane Élber & Isabel Edvardsson 3 April 9, 2010 May 28, 2010 Sophia Thomalla & Massimo Sinató Sylvie van der Vaart & Christian Polanc, Christian Bärens Nina Bott & Roberto Albanese 4 9 March 23, 2011 May 18, 2011 Maite Kelly & Christian Polanc Moritz A. Sachs & Melissa Ortiz-Gomez Thomas Karaoglan & Sarah Latton 5 12 11 March 14, 2012 May 23, 2012 Magdalena Brzeska & Erich Klann Rebecca Mir & Massimo Sinató Stefanie Hertel & Sergiy Plyuta 6109 April 5, 2013 May 31, 2013 Manuel Cortez & Melissa Ortiz-Gomez Sıla Şahin & Christian Polanc Paul Janke & Ekaterina Leonova 7 March 28, 2014 May 30, 2014 Alexander Klaws & Isabel Edvardsson Tanja Szewczenko & Willi Gabalier Carmen Geiss & Christian Polanc 81412 March 13, 2015 June 5, 2015 Hans Sarpei & Kathrin Menzinger Minh-Khai Phan-Thi & Massimo Sinató Matthias Steiner & Ekaterina Leonova 9 March 11, 2016 June 3, 2016 Victoria Swarovski & Erich Klann Sarah Lombardi & Robert Beitsch Jana Pallaske & Massimo Sinató 1013 February 24, 2017 June 9, 2017 Gil Ofarim & Ekaterina Leonova Vanessa Mai & Christian Polanc Angelina Kirsch & Massimo Sinató 11 March 9, 2018 June 8, 2018 Ingolf Lück & Ekaterina Leonova Judith Williams & Erich Klann Barbara Meier & Sergiu Luca 12 March 15, 2019 June 14, 2019 Pascal Hens & Ekaterina Leonova Ella Endlich & Valentin Lusin Benjamin Piwko & Isabel Edvardsson 13 February 21, 2020 May 22, 2020 Lili Paul-Roncalli & Massimo Sinató Moritz Hans & Renata Lusin Luca Hänni & Christina Luft 14 February 26, 2021 May 28, 2021 Rúrik Gíslason & Renata Lusin Valentina Pahde & Valentin Lusin Nicolas Puschmann & Vadim Garbuzov 15 February 18, 2022 May 20, 2022 René Casselly & Kathrin Menzinger Janin Ullmann & Zsolt Sándor Cseke Mathias Mester & Renata Lusin 16 February 17, 2023 May 19, 2023 Anna Ermakova & Valentin Lusin Julia Beautx & Zsolt Sándor Cseke Philipp Boy & Patricija Ionel 17 February 23, 2024 May 24, 2024 Gabriel Kelly & Malika Dzumaev Jana Wosnitza & Vadim Garbuzov Detlef Soost & Ekaterina Leonova 18 February 21, 2025 May 23, 2025 Diego Pooth & Ekaterina Leonova Taliso Engel & Patricija Ionel Fabian Hambüchen & Anastasia Mărușter 19 February 27, 2026 May 29, 2026 Anna-Carina Woitschack & Evgeny Vinokurov Milano & Marta Arndt Joel Mattli & Malika Dzumaev
Specials Only standalone programs or formats are listed as specials, and not those that are part of another program.
Christmas Specials
Year Winning couple 2013 Magdalena Brzeska & Erich Klann 2022 Rúrik Gíslason & Malika Dzumaev 2023 Anna Ermakova & Valentin Lusin 2024 René Casselly & Kathrin Menzinger 2025 Diego Pooth & Ekaterina Leonova
Let's Dance – Let's Christmas
The show celebrated a special called Let's Dance – Let's Christmas with 5 celebrities from the past seasons on December 20, 2013, and on December 21, 2013. It was hosted by Daniel Hartwich & Sylvie Meis and the judging panel consisted of Jorge González, Motsi Mabuse and Joachim Llambi. With the prize money of 10,000 euros, Magdalena Brzeska, as the winner of the show, supported blind children in Togo in her function as project sponsor of RTL – Wir helfen Kindern.