Strictly Come Dancing returned for its first competitive live show of 2026 on Saturday night, but viewers looking for the usual Sunday results show tonight will have to wait another week. There is no Strictly Come Dancing results show tonight, Sunday, 27 September, and none of the 15 celebrity couples will be eliminated following their first dances. Instead, the judges’ Week 1 scores will be carried over to next weekend, when the public vote opens for the first time and the series gets its first dance-off. 

Why Is There No Strictly Results Show Tonight?

Week 1 of Strictly Come Dancing does not include a public vote or elimination, meaning all 15 couples are safely through to their second dances. The scores awarded by Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas on Saturday will instead be added to the judges’ scores from Week 2. Viewers will then get their first opportunity to vote for their favourite couples, with the combined scores determining who is at risk of leaving the competition. It means there is no need for the usual Sunday night results show this week, with the first elimination instead taking place next weekend.

When Is the First Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Elimination?

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, 3 October for Week 2, when all 15 couples will perform again and viewers will finally be able to vote. The first results show and elimination will air on Sunday, 4 October, when the two couples at the bottom will face the first dance-off of the series. The BBC’s new companion show Strictly: Lights Up, hosted by Abi Clarke and Tyler West, will also launch on BBC iPlayer that night immediately after the results show. 

Who Topped the Strictly Leaderboard in Week 1?

John Nellis and Katya Jones finished at the top of the first Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard after their Foxtrot to Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” earned 31 points from the judges.

The full Week 1 leaderboard was:

John Nellis and Katya Jones – 31
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – 29
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – 27
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – 26
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – 24
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – 22
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – 22
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – 21
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – 20
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – 20
Will Best and Dianne Buswell – 18
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – 16
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec – 15
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – 15
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – 15

Nobody is in danger just yet, however, as all of the Week 1 scores will be carried over and combined with the judges’ marks from next weekend before the first public vote.

For CultureCues, we are already very happy to have Strictly back, even if Sunday night feels a little strange without the first results show. Week 1 gave us our first proper look at all 15 couples, John and Katya have set an early benchmark at the top of the leaderboard, and now everyone gets another chance before the public has its say. Enjoy the stress-free Sunday while it lasts, because next weekend the dance-off begins.

More From CultureCues

What Time Is The Blame Episode 3 on Tonight? ITV Schedule and Episode 4 Date

How Many Episodes Are in Marble Hall Murders? BBC iPlayer Release Explained

YAGA Trailer: Hudson Williams Stars in Sky’s New Mystery Thriller