Strictly Come Dancing has won the talent show prize at the National Television Awards (NTAs) for a 10th year in a row.
The BBC dance programme, which is returning to screens later this month, has faced controversy in recent years, including allegations about the behaviour of the show’s professional dancers.
In the winner’s room, reality TV star Pete Wicks, who competed last year, said: “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
“For someone that had never danced before or done anything, I genuinely fell in love with it, and a lot of that is down to (dancer) Jowita (Przystal). It’s down to all the pros.
“But more than anything, it’s down to all the people behind the scenes because it’s an absolute machine, the reason it’s been going for 20 years, and the reason it’s a national institution, is because of the people that make it and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”
Hours before the NTAs, former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner apologised for picking up a journalist’s phone and walking out of a Strictly press event ahead of the series launch on September 20.
Skinner will join fellow stars such as Love Island winner Dani Dyer-Bowen, Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and reality TV star Vicky Pattison when he takes part as a celebrity contestant in this year’s series.
Last year’s series, which celebrated 20 years, was won by blind comedian Chris McCausland and professional dancer Dianne Buswell who impressed the judges and public with one dance in particular.
The winning couple’s “blackout” dance, which went viral on social media, saw McCausland place his hands over Buswell’s eyes as the room faded to black, mimicking his everyday experience.
The series also faced a string of incidents, including Welsh tenor and former BBC Radio Wales presenter, Wynne Evans, being dropped by the broadcaster after he made an apology saying that he used “inappropriate language” during the launch of the Strictly tour.
Months later, former EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick was also suspended from the BBC after a video emerged of the actor using a disabled slur on the set of the dance programme.
The scandal-hit show was also the subject of a review in 2024, when the BBC investigated allegations of bullying and harassment against former professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, made by his former dance partner, Amanda Abbington, who competed in 2023.
Strictly has now won a talent show gong at the NTAs every year since 2016, having lost out in 2015 when The X Factor took home the award.
The long-running BBC show also won the award in 2008, 2013 and 2014.
The next series of Strictly will be hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly and is back on iPlayer and BBC One from Saturday September 20.
