Strictly Come Dancing's behind the scenes secrets as show comes to a close

As is just weeks away from its grand finale on December 14, 2024, the competition is fiercer than ever, with only a handful of stars still in the running for the Glitterball Trophy. Fan favourites like former star and actor have emerged as top contenders, and bookmakers are tipping them as ones to watch.

Over the weeks, some celebrities have danced their last on the iconic floor. Olympic swimmer Tom Dean was the first to go, followed by singer Toyah Willcox, TV presenter Nick Knowles, and ex-footballer Paul Merson. Dr Punam Krishnan, hockey star Sam Quek and singer Shayne Ward took their final bows recently.

But beyond the sparkle and sequins, there's a lot that fans don't see. From unexpected filming delays to pre-recorded segments, plus the gruelling hours of rehearsal that push the stars to their limits-there's a whole other world behind the scenes that keeps the show running smoothly.

As the series counts down to its last dance, we uncover the secrets behind the glitz and glamour that have kept millions of fans tuning in weekly.

How long do they rehearse?

Strictly viewers probably assume that the celebrities have a full five or six days to learn their new routine, but that's definitely not the case.

Despite having Sunday to Saturday to practice their next routine, the couples have to do promos and keep up with commitments to other TV appearances, such as Strictly: It Takes Two and interviews on other shows, such as Lorraine, and tend to only have about three and a half days to rehearse.

Speaking to Daily Star last year, former professional AJ Pritchard said: "When you consider Sunday is your day off because the results show airs on Sunday night, but in the week you would usually be doing promo, going on Lorraine in the week and talking about your experience to press, therefore you only get three and a half days in a studio to learn that dance."

Contestants must do at least 12 hours of training a week for a routine lasting two minutes.

However, some dedicated celebs have been known to do that in just one day, particularly as the show approaches its final weeks.

How the songs are picked

The celebrities and professional dancers are tasked with learning a new dance each week, but for the pros, there's even more work involved as they also need to choreograph their number for their celebrity partner.

The dancers are given a pool of songs to choose from, which fit with the theme.

The tracks are always a mix of old and new songs to appeal to a wide audience and from there, the professionals confirm their choice with producers and get choreographing.

The in-house singers then get the rest of the week to learn the song before performing it live on BBC One on a Saturday night.

Why there's a delay in scoring

The in-house singers then get the rest of the week to learn the song before performing it live on BBC One on a Saturday night.

Viewers familiar with the show will know that it takes a little while to hear the verdict of judges Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas.

That's because the judges need to let the crew know, first of all, which paddle they will hold up.

They have a special keypad hidden under their desks where they submit their scores, so the crew can seamlessly show them on the screen for viewers at home and update the leaderboard straight away.

Long days of filming

While the show may only be on for a couple of hours on Saturday night-and the results show is broadcast on Sunday-filming takes a long time.

Both episodes of the show are actually filmed on the same evening, with the Saturday show going live to people's homes and the results show being pre-recorded and aired the following day.

There is also a lot of footage that doesn't appear in the final edit of the show. With the filming of the Sunday show, any slip-ups-which normally include someone referring to the show as today and not yesterday-can easily be edited out for continuity purposes.

Group dances are filmed in advance

Some viewers might not be aware that the professional group numbers are actually filmed well in advance.

This allows the crew to ensure the performances are perfected without the pressure of live recording.

While the show maintains its live format for the celebrity performances, pre-recording the pros' routines helps guarantee that these complex and highly choreographed numbers go off without a hitch during the live broadcasts.

The judges have time to prepare their criticism

Saturday night's show is not the first time the judges see each couple perform the routine.

After a rehearsal in the studio on Friday, the couples take part in a full dress rehearsal on Saturday morning - again in the Elstree studio - which the four judges watch in their dressing room.

The judges are not given any advice on their scoring or their criticism but this sneak peek helps give them a few ideas ahead of the live show.