The first live shows will be on Friday 30th September and Saturday 1st October with 14 celebrities and their professional dance partners beginning their Strictly journey in the hope of lifting that glitter ball trophy on 17th December in the Grand Final in Blackpool.
Each week, our couples will perform a Ballroom or a Latin American dance and will be judged and scored by our judges Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood.
For the first live shows on Friday 30th September and Saturday 1st October, the couples will be split into two groups with seven couples dancing on Friday and the other seven couples dancing on Saturday.
After each couple has danced they will be scored by the judges in the usual way. But in the first week there will be no public vote. The judges' scores will be carried over to the second week and included in the overall score of each couple. These combined scores will then be used to make up a leaderboard in the usual way and the public will then be able to vote by phone for their favourite couple.
In the second week of the competition on Saturday 8th October all 14 couples will dance again. The judges will score after each dance. The scores from the first week will be added to the second week scores to make up a leaderboard. Towards the end of the show the phone lines will be opened and the public will be able to vote for their favourite couple. Lines will close later that evening at a time to be announced on the show.
The points from the judges and the public will be combined 50-50 in the usual way. The couple with the lowest combined score will be eliminated in a Results programme to be shown on the evening of Sunday 9th October. There will be no dance off.
From the third week, on Saturday 15th October, the series will continue with a live Saturday night show followed by a Results programme shown on Sunday night. Each couple will be scored by the judges and there will be a public vote in the usual way. Lines will close later on Saturday evening at a time to be announced in each live show. The time may vary from week to week according to the schedule of the programme. Each week the couple with lowest combined score will be revealed on the Sunday night show and will leave Strictly Come Dancing.
The format may be altered by Production throughout the series to allow for other routines or group dances.
On Saturday 26th November, the seven remaining couples will dance twice. One dance will consist of either Ballroom or Latin American, which, as usual, will be scored by the judges. Then, once all couple have danced, they will all take to the floor at the same time and compete against each other in a "Swing-A-Thon"
.During the Swing-A-Thon dance, the judges will confer and Head Judge Len Goodman will eliminate one couple at a time. If the judges cannot agree the order the couples are eliminated then Head Judge Len will have the final say. When a couple is eliminated they will leave the floor but the remaining couples will keep dancing until only one couple is left.
The first to be eliminated will score 1, the second couple eliminated will score 2, the third couple 3, the fourth couple eliminated will score 4, the fifth couple eliminated will score 5, the sixth couple eliminated will score 6. The last couple still dancing will receive the maximum score of 7 points. These scores will be added to that night's leader board.
The two sets of scores from the judges will then be combined to create a leader board. Then phone lines will open and the public will be able to vote for their favourite couple in the usual way. The couple with the lowest combined scores will be eliminated in a Results programme shown on Sunday night.
On the Saturday 10th December Semi Final, all remaining couples will dance twice. The judges will score in the usual way. The couple with the lowest combined score will be eliminated on Sunday night’s Result show.
If there are still five couples left in the competition at the Semi Final stage there will be a double elimination with the bottom two couples eliminated as only a maximum of three couples will be able to go through to the Final.
The Grand Final of Strictly Come Dancing 2011 will be on Saturday 17th December from Blackpool. The three remaining couples will all dance again but this time the judges' comments and scores will be for reference only. The Champions of Strictly Come Dancing 2011 will be decided purely by the public vote.
Phone lines will open after all three couples have danced for the first time. Lines will then be frozen at a time announced on the programme. The couple with fewest votes will be eliminated at the start of the Results show.
In the very unlikely event of two couples being tied at the bottom of the phone vote Head Judge Len Goodman will have the casting vote so that one couple will still be eliminated. The phone lines will then be reopened but all the votes already cast for the two remaining couples will still count and will be carried over.
The two remaining couples will dance twice more for your votes in the Results show before the lines are closed and the winner announced.
There is no public vote in the first Live week. After that, each week, until the Final, the phone lines will be opened towards the end of the Live Saturday night show. The lines will close later that evening. Viewers will be informed of when the lines will close on a week by week basis as this depends on the scheduling of the programme. See Terms and Conditions below.
The Strictly Come Dancing scoring system combines judges and viewers votes. No couple is guaranteed to be safe on judges' votes alone however, and the viewers' votes can always influence the outcome. This means each week any couple can be eliminated and any couple be saved with the public vote. In the event of a tie, the viewers' votes will take precedence over the judges' scoring.
After all couples have performed, the judges' scores will be added together and the couples will be ranked according to the scores received. The couple ranked the highest will be awarded a number of points equal to the number of couples competing that evening. So, for example, if seven couples are competing, the points awarded to the highest ranked couple (based on the judges total score) will be 7, the couple with the second highest score from the judges will receive 6 points and so on in the same downward sequential order.
In the event of a tie, where two or more couples obtain the same number of points, the couple below those in the tie will be awarded one point below the points awarded to each of the tied couples. So, for example, if two couples obtain the same rank and obtain 7 points each, the couple immediately below them will be awarded 6 points. The scoring of all other couples underneath will follow in the same descending order.
After the ranking and points based on the judges' scores have been announced, the viewers will be given the opportunity to vote by calling the numbers announced for each couple. How the viewers vote across all the couples when combined with the judges' points will determine who will be eliminated.
After the voting lines have closed, the viewers' votes will be collated and independently verified. The couples will be ranked based on the total number of viewers' votes received. The couple with the highest number of viewers' votes will be awarded a number of points equal to the number of couples competing that evening. So, for example, if seven couples are competing, the points awarded to the highest ranked couple (based on the viewers' total score) will be 7, the couple with the second highest score from the viewers will receive 6 points and so on in the same downward sequential order.
In the event of a tie, where two or more couples obtain the same number of points, the couple below those in the tie will be awarded one point below the points awarded to each of the couples in the tie. So, for example, if two couples obtain the same rank and obtain 7 points each, the couple immediately below them will be awarded 6 points. The scoring of all other couples underneath will follow in the same descending order.
Once the judges' scores and viewers votes have been combined, if there is a tie between any couples, then the couple in the tie with the highest number of viewer votes will be deemed to be ahead on the leaderboard.
In the unlikely event that there is a tie in the judges' scores and the public phone vote for the two or more couples at the bottom of the leaderboard the judges will confer and decide which couple will leave the show. As there are four judges, if there is a tie in the judges' vote head judge Len Goodman will have the casting vote. In the absence of Len, Craig Revel Horwood will deputise as head judge.
Voting is by telephone only. The numbers for each couple dancing will be given out during the live show.
Vote lines are opened and closed at the times specified on the programme. Please do not call before the lines open or after the lines have closed as your vote will not be counted, but you may still be charged. Please be aware voting times may change.
If you are watching Strictly Come Dancing on iPlayer, following through a website or any other time-shift or catch-up service, you should not vote since the lines will have closed.
Each phone vote costs 15.2p from a BT landline. Other networks may vary. Calls from mobiles will be considerably higher.
ppc = pence per call
| Premium Rate Number | Tariff | O2 | Orange | T-Mobile | Vodafone | 3 | Virgin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0901 | 15.2p from BT Land Line | 50ppc | 100ppc (£1.00) | 77ppc | 51ppc | 36ppc | 70ppc |
This table is provided for indicative purpose only. Information provided by mobile network operators 19/09/2011. For up to date information it is always advisable to check direct with your network operator.
Voters must obtain permission from the bill payer before voting and phone voters under the age of 12 should obtain parent/guardian consent before voting. Make sure you carefully dial only the number of the couple/s you wish to vote for.
Votes are only open to individuals as consumers calling from the UK, and not to any agencies, businesses and/or companies. The BBC can only guarantee that votes individually entered directly through the telephone numbers promoted on the show will count. (updated 24 Nov 2011)
The BBC reserves the right to disqualify votes if it has reasonable grounds to suspect that fraudulent voting has occurred or if it considers there has been any deliberate attempt to manipulate the result.
There are a number of contingencies which could occur during or before each show, as with any other live television programme. Contingencies cover withdrawal of any celebrity, professional dancer or judge for health reasons or other unforeseen circumstances or outside the control of the BBC. The remedial actions may include, but not be limited to changing the format of the show, including, removing, substituting or adding professional dancers and or judges; and cancelling, suspending or altering voting at any time. In the event of any contestant leaving the competition at any point prior to the quarter finals, the BBC will decide on whether to reinstate previous contestants i.e. the person with the highest score eliminated from the previous episode or equivalent, or to take other actions in accordance with the BBC's contingency plans as it deems necessary and appropriate to the circumstances.
For purpose of verifying any claim for refunds (where offered) or investigating possible voting irregularities, the BBC may need to request the network operator to disclose the telephone number that you are voting from. Please note that this will still be required where you have originally opted not to disclose your telephone number (caller's line identification barring). If you do not agree to this, you should not vote.
Where such investigations are required, the BBC will only ever use your telephone number for the purposes of processing refunds or investigating possible voting irregularities and will not publish or provide it to anyone without permission, except where required for enforcement of these terms. You can read more about the BBC Privacy Policy here.
The BBC, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for: (i) any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any telephone network or line, system, server, provider or otherwise which may result in any vote being lost or not properly registered or recorded; and (ii) any talent, including celebrity dancers, professional dancers and judges leaving the show for any reason.
Please note that you cannot vote by email, red button, text or via this website.
The voting in this programme accords with the BBC's Code of Conduct for Competitions and Voting, details of which can be found on the BBC's Standards and Guidelines website.
Please note that if you are directly connected in any way with the production of the programme or the provision of telephony services to the programme you are not eligible to vote.
We invite you to vote for the dancers that you liked best, based on their performance in each show and during the series. Releasing voting figures could affect the way that people vote, and also have an impact on the participants. We therefore do not disclose the exact voting figures.
Although the BBC is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, information which is closely connected to our programme-making is not covered by the Act. The Information Commissioner, who regulates the Act, has confirmed that information about Strictly Come Dancing voting is not covered. We are therefore not required to disclose the voting figures under the Act.
If your call was made from a BT landline then you will pay 15.2p for voting in Strictly Come Dancing. We state on screen and verbally that "other networks may vary, and calls from mobiles will cost considerably more" - this includes other landlines as well as calls made from mobile phones. See the cost guide on this page for callers using their mobile phones to vote.
We state clearly on screen and verbally when the voting period opens and closes and that callers should wait till that time before casting their vote. There is a small chance that if you called outside this time that another network other than BT would charge for this call. If you have been charged, then notify your service provider immediately.
All voters are asked to dial carefully. The BBC has implemented a thorough testing schedule before each show to ensure correct audio is playing on the correct celebrity line. If you have a phonebill you can send us, we can check whether the number you called corresponds with the correct celebrity audio.
Because the phonelines are very active throughout the UK when the vote window opens, some callers may experience the engaged tone - especially those in rural/remote areas. We recommend that you call back within a couple of minutes when the traffic through your local exchange would have subsided. Engaged tones are controlled at local telephone exchange and something that the BBC cannot control.
If after dialling the first four numbers of the premium rate number you heard a dead tone - then this means that you are premium rate barred and you should check with your network operator about lifting the ban if you wish to vote in Strictly Come Dancing.
Given the high volume of viewers and callers that some TV voting shows generate, it is possible for a very large number of people to pick up the phone simultaneously when the onscreen announcement is made. Sometimes this can cause some callers to get an engaged tone for short periods of time immediately after an onscreen announcement; however, any congestion tends to clear quite quickly.
Like all the big shows, Strictly Come Dancing uses a voting system where at least the first eight digits of the phone numbers are the same for all contestants, with only the last few digits of the phone number changing depending on who you want to vote for.
As the telephone network only uses the first eight digits in a telephone number to route calls to the voting system, it is impossible for calls for different couples to be treated differently.
Once calls reach the voting system they are answered in turn, on a first-come, first-served basis. Each answering point is instructed to accept votes for all couples; there are no dedicated answering points for individual couples.
This means that your chance of getting through to vote will never depend on the celebrity or couple you wish to vote for.
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