Strictly Come Dancing 2025 is heading for our screens next week, bringing glitz and glamour back to our Saturday nights once again. But, there is a big change heading for the series as the way we vote has altered.
It was announced by the BBC that phone voting has been dropped from the show, meaning all fans of the series will now need to vote for their favorites online.
The BBC says: "For years, shows like Strictly Come Dancing, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and Eurovision let viewers vote by calling premium-rate numbers. However, this is now an outdated system and also expensive to run.
"Online voting has become the go-to choice for most viewers. In fact, the overwhelming majority of votes for the last Strictly series were cast online."
Online-only voting can be done via your BBC account, which the BBC explains 'offers a more personalised iPlayer experience and weather updates tailored to your location'.
Back for the new series are Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in their presenting roles, with Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke all returning to the judging panel.
The celebrity lineup includes Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dani Dyer, Vicky Pattison, Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal, Stefan Dennis, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Chris Robshaw, Ellie Goldstein, George Clarke, La Voix, Ross King, Karen Carney, and Lewis Cope.
Actor Kristian Nairn was also announced but had to withdraw for medical reasons, with Lewis Cope replacing him.
How to vote
If you already have a BBC account, you don’t need to do anything. During voting, you’ll be directed to the show’s website where the voting link will be clearly shown.
If you don’t have an account yet, signing up is simple and free at www.bbc.com/register.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
