# Strictly Come Dancing series 7

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its seventh series on 18 September 2009 on BBC One. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned as presenters of the main show on BBC One, while Claudia Winkleman presented the spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges. Series 5 winner Alesha Dixon joined the judging panel as a replacement for Arlene Phillips. Darcey Bussell served as a guest judge beginning with the quarterfinal.
Camilla Dallerup, Karen Hardy, and Hayley Holt were replaced as professional female dancers by Natalie Lowe, Aliona Vilani, and Katya Virshilas. The show on 7 November was filmed from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the first time since the finale of series 2.
Due to illness, Bruce Forsyth did not appear in the show on 14 November. As a result, Tess Daly took over as main presenter, and Claudia Winkleman took over Daly's normal role.
BBC Breakfast sports presenter Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan were announced as the winners on 19 December, while Hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe finished in second place.

## Format

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.
The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Len Goodman, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.

## Couples

This series featured sixteen celebrity contestants.
| Celebrity | Notability | Professional partner | Status |
| Martina Hingis | Professional tennis player | Matthew Cutler | Eliminated 1st on 19 September 2009 |
| Richard Dunwoody | Jockey | Lilia Kopylova | Eliminated 2nd on 26 September 2009 |
| Rav Wilding | Crimewatch presenter | Aliona Vilani | Eliminated 3rd on 3 October 2009 |
| Lynda Bellingham | Actress & Loose Women panellist | Darren Bennett | Eliminated 4th on 10 October 2009 |
| Joe Calzaghe | Professional boxer | Kristina Rihanoff | Eliminated 5th on 17 October 2009 |
| Jo Wood | Model & entrepreneur | Brendan Cole | Eliminated 6th on 24 October 2009 |
| Zöe Lucker | Footballers' Wives actress | James Jordan | Eliminated 7th on 31 October 2009 |
| Craig Kelly | Coronation Street actor | Flavia Cacace | Eliminated 8th on 7 November 2009 |
| Phil Tufnell | England cricketer | Katya Virshilas | Eliminated 9th on 14 November 2009 |
| Jade Johnson | Olympic long jumper | Ian Waite | Withdrew on 21 November 2009 |
| Ricky Groves | EastEnders actor | Erin Boag | Eliminated 10th on 21 November 2009 |
| Natalie Cassidy | EastEnders actress | Vincent Simone | Eliminated 11th on 28 November 2009 |
| Laila Rouass | Footballers' Wives actress | Anton Du Beke | Eliminated 12th on 5 December 2009 |
| Ali Bastian | The Bill & Hollyoaks actress | Brian Fortuna | Eliminated 13th on 12 December 2009 |
| Ricky Whittle | Hollyoaks actor | Natalie Lowe | Runners-up on 19 December 2009 |
| Chris Hollins | BBC Breakfast sports presenter | Ola Jordan | Winners on 19 December 2009 |

## Scoring chart

The highest score each week is indicated in bold green with a dagger (†), while the lowest score each week is indicated in italicized red with a double-dagger (‡).
Color key:
Strictly Come Dancing (series 7) - Weekly scores :
| Couple | Pl. | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Couple | Pl. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Chris & Ola | 1st | 26+30=56 | — | 23 | 25 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 34+7=41 | 41+39=80 | 38+42=80‡ | 46+44+50+46=186‡ |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 2nd | — | 33+32=65† | 35† | 32 | 36† | 32 | 39† | 35 | 35† | 36† | 31+9=40 | 48+47=95† | 47+49=96† | 50+43+48+49=190† |
| Ali & Brian | 3rd | 30+30=60† | — | 32 | 32 | 29 | 37† | 33 | 40† | 35† | 35 | 37+10=47† | 42+44=86 | 42+50=92 | |
| Laila & Anton | 4th | — | 30+25=55 | 30 | 34† | 22 | 28 | 33 | 30 | 22‡ | 29 | 31+8=39 | 33+26=59‡ | | |
| Natalie & Vincent | 5th | — | 24+26=50 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 26 | 26+7=33‡ | | | |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 6th | 21+26=47 | — | 29 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 24‡ | 25 | 29 | 22‡ | | | | |
| Jade & Ian | 7th | 25+27=52 | — | 31 | 29 | 35 | 32 | 35 | 33 | | | | | | |
| Phil & Katya | 8th | — | 29+22=51 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 31 | | | | | |
| Craig & Flavia | 9th | — | 22+22=44 | 21 | 24 | 20‡ | 18 | 24‡ | 17‡ | | | | | | |
| Zöe & James | 10th | — | 30+31=61 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 32 | | | | | | | |
| Jo & Brendan | 11th | — | 18+18=36‡ | 20 | 20‡ | 23 | 14‡ | | | | | | | | |
| Joe & Kristina | 12th | 16+16=32‡ | — | 19‡ | 20‡ | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Lynda & Darren | 13th | 21+23=44 | — | 25 | 24 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rav & Aliona | 14th | 19+22=41 | — | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Richard & Lilia | 15th | — | 19+19=38 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Martina & Matthew | 16th | 22+24=46 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Notes

* 1 2 3 The couples were scored on a 50-point scale due to the presence of a guest judge.
* ↑ This couple finished in first place.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 This couple was in the bottom two, but was not eliminated.
* ↑ This couple finished in second place.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 This couple was eliminated.
* ↑ This couple was excused from competition due to illness or injury, and was granted a bye to the following week.
* ↑ This couple withdrew from the competition.

## Weekly scores

Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli.

### Week 1

Musical guest: Katherine Jenkins — "I Believe"
Only half of the couples performed this week, and they performed once each on two different nights. On the first night, they performed either the tango or the waltz; and on the second night, they performed either the cha-cha-cha or the rumba. The couples who did not compete this week performed a group merengue that was not scored. One couple was eliminated after the second night. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

#### Night 1

| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music |
| Rav & Aliona | 19 (3, 6, 5, 5) | Tango | "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" — Chris Isaak |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 21 (4, 6, 6, 5) | Waltz | "What'll I Do" — Irving Berlin |
| Chris & Ola | 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) | Tango | "Sharp Dressed Man" — ZZ Top |
| Jade & Ian | 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) | Waltz | "Weekend in New England" — Barry Manilow |
| Martina & Matthew | 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) | Waltz | "Jesse" — Roberta Flack |
| Lynda & Darren | 21 (3, 6, 7, 5) | Tango | "Under Pressure" — Queen & David Bowie |
| Ali & Brian | 30 (7, 8, 8, 7) | Waltz | "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" — Diana Ross |
| Joe & Kristina | 16 (2, 5, 5, 4) | Tango | "Cité Tango" — Astor Piazzolla |

#### Night 2

| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Jade & Ian | 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) | Cha-cha-cha | "Ain't No Other Man" — Christina Aguilera | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) | Rumba | "That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne Warwick | Safe |
| Lynda & Darren | 23 (5, 6, 6, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" — Elton John & Kiki Dee | Safe |
| Rav & Aliona | 22 (4, 6, 5, 7) | Rumba | "Temptation" — Tom Waits | Bottom two |
| Chris & Ola | 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) | Rumba | "Don't Know Much" — Linda Ronstadt | Safe |
| Joe & Kristina | 16 (2, 5, 5, 4) | Cha-cha-cha | "Chain of Fools" — Aretha Franklin | Safe |
| Martina & Matthew | 24 (5, 6, 7, 6) | Rumba | "Alone" — Heart | Eliminated |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Jump (for My Love)" — The Pointer Sisters | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Martina & Matthew
* Dixon: Martina & Matthew
* Tonioli: Rav & Aliona
* Goodman: Rav & Aliona (Since the other judges were not unanimous, Len Goodman, as head judge, made the final decision to save Rav & Aliona)

### Week 2

Musical guest: Jamie Cullum — "I'm All Over It"
The format this week was the same as last week. The half of the couples who did not perform last week performed once each on two different nights. They performed either the tango or the waltz on the first night, and either the cha-cha-cha or the rumba on the second night. The couples who did not compete this week performed a group merengue that was not scored. One couple was eliminated after the second night. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

#### Night 1

| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music |
| Natalie & Vincent | 24 (6, 6, 6, 6) | Tango | "Spider of the Night" — Pedro Manilla |
| Zöe & James | 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) | Waltz | "Some Day My Prince Will Come" — Adriana Caselotti |
| Craig & Flavia | 22 (5, 6, 5, 6) | Tango | "Jai Ho" — Pussycat Dolls |
| Richard & Lilia | 19 (4, 5, 5, 5) | Waltz | "Truly" — Lionel Richie |
| Laila & Anton | 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) | Tango | "El Choclo" — Ángel Villoldo |
| Phil & Katya | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | Waltz | "Sam" — Olivia Newton-John |
| Jo & Brendan | 18 (3, 5, 5, 5) | Tango | "Let's Dance" — David Bowie |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) | Waltz | "It Is You (I Have Loved)" — Dana Glover |

#### Night 2

| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Phil & Katya | 22 (4, 6, 6, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Daddy" — Della Reese | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 22 (5, 6, 5, 6) | Rumba | "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" — Amy Winehouse | Bottom two |
| Laila & Anton | 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Sway" — Rosemary Clooney | Safe |
| Zöe & James | 31 (8, 7, 8, 8) | Rumba | "Out of Reach" — Gabrielle | Safe |
| Jo & Brendan | 18 (3, 5, 5, 5) | Rumba | "Fallen" — Lauren Wood | Safe |
| Richard & Lilia | 19 (4, 5, 5, 5) | Cha-cha-cha | "I'm Your Man" — Wham! | Eliminated |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Rumba | "Stepping Stone" — Duffy | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 26 (6, 7, 7, 6) | Cha-cha-cha | "Bang Bang" — David Sanborn | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Craig & Flavia
* Dixon: Craig & Flavia
* Tonioli: Craig & Flavia
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Richard & Lilia

### Week 3

Musical guest: Andy Williams — "Moon River"
Couples performed either the paso doble or the quickstep, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Ali & Brian | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Quickstep | "I Get a Kick Out of You" — Frank Sinatra | Safe |
| Lynda & Darren | 25 (5, 7, 7, 6) | Paso doble | "Devil Woman" — Cliff Richard | Bottom two |
| Chris & Ola | 23 (5, 6, 6, 6) | Quickstep | "Dancin' Fool" — Barry Manilow | Safe |
| Zöe & James | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | Paso doble | "You've Got the Love" — Florence and the Machine | Safe |
| Rav & Aliona | 20 (3, 6, 5, 6) | Quickstep | "We Go Together" — John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John | Eliminated |
| Natalie & Vincent | 28 (6, 7, 8, 7) | Paso doble | "Malagueña" — Connie Francis | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 21 (4, 6, 6, 5) | Quickstep | "Peroxide Swing" — Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Paso doble | "Spanish Gypsy Dance" — Pascual Marquina Narro | Safe |
| Jade & Ian | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | Quickstep | "Fascination" — Alphabeat | Safe |
| Joe & Kristina | 19 (3, 5, 6, 5) | Paso doble | "Livin' on a Prayer" — Bon Jovi | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 30 (8, 8, 7, 7) | Quickstep | "Strike Up the Band" — Tony Bennett | Safe |
| Jo & Brendan | 20 (3, 6, 6, 5) | Paso doble | "Because the Night" — Patti Smith | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 24 (5, 6, 6, 7) | Quickstep | "Put on a Happy Face" — Tony Bennett | Safe |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) | Paso doble | "One Vision" — Queen | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Lynda & Darren
* Dixon: Lynda & Darren
* Tonioli: Lynda & Darren
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Lynda & Darren.

### Week 4

Musical guest: Dionne Bromfield — "Mama Said" (with Amy Winehouse providing backing vocals)
Couples performed either the foxtrot or the salsa, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Zöe & James | 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) | Foxtrot | "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" — Natalie Cole | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 25 (5, 6, 7, 7) | Salsa | "Micaela" — King Bongo | Safe |
| Lynda & Darren | 24 (5, 7, 6, 6) | Foxtrot | "Calendar Girl" — Neil Sedaka | Eliminated |
| Ali & Brian | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Salsa | "Quimbara" — Celia Cruz | Safe |
| Jo & Brendan | 20 (4, 6, 5, 5) | Foxtrot | "Crazy" — Patsy Cline | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | Salsa | "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)" — Gloria Estefan | Safe |
| Joe & Kristina | 20 (3, 6, 6, 5) | Foxtrot | "Feeling Good" — Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) | Foxtrot | "Just in Time" — Frank Sinatra | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Salsa | "Dancing Machine" — The Jackson Five | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 24 (5, 7, 6, 6) | Foxtrot | "Sometimes When We Touch" — Dan Hill | Bottom two |
| Jade & Ian | 29 (7, 7, 8, 7) | Salsa | "La Isla Bonita" — Anna Book | Safe |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 28 (6, 8, 7, 7) | Foxtrot | "All of Me" — Frank Sinatra | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 24 (4, 7, 6, 7) | Salsa | "Long Train Runnin'" — Doobie Brothers | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Lynda & Darren
* Dixon: Lynda & Darren
* Tonioli: Craig & Flavia
* Goodman: Craig & Flavia (Since the other judges were not unanimous, Len Goodman, as head judge, made the final decision to save Craig & Flavia)

### Week 5

Musical guest: Spandau Ballet — "Gold"
Couples performed either the jive or the Viennese waltz, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 25 (6, 7, 7, 5) | Jive | "The Boy from New York City" — The Manhattan Transfer | Safe |
| Jade & Ian | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Viennese waltz | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" — James Brown | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 29 (6, 7, 8, 8) | Jive | "Tutti Frutti" — Little Richard | Safe |
| Jo & Brendan | 23 (5, 7, 6, 5) | Viennese waltz | "Trouble" — Ray LaMontagne | Safe |
| Zöe & James | 30 (7, 8, 8, 7) | Jive | "Tainted Love" — Gloria Jones | Bottom two |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 36 (8, 9, 10, 9) | Viennese waltz | "How Can I Be Sure" — David Cassidy | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 20 (4, 6, 5, 5) | Jive | "It Takes Two" — Marvin Gaye | Safe |
| Joe & Kristina | 21 (4, 6, 6, 5) | Jive | "Rock This Town" — Stray Cats | Eliminated |
| Natalie & Vincent | 27 (7, 7, 7, 6) | Viennese waltz | "At Last" — Etta James | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 22 (5, 7, 5, 5) | Jive | "Modern Love" — David Bowie | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 27 (6, 7, 7, 7) | Viennese waltz | "Mad About the Boy" — Dinah Washington | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 22 (5, 6, 6, 5) | Jive | "Roll Over Beethoven" — Chuck Berry | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Zöe & James
* Dixon: Zöe & James
* Tonioli: Zöe & James
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Zöe & James

### Week 6

Musical guest: Harry Connick, Jr. — "The Way You Look Tonight"
Couples performed either the American Smooth or the samba, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Jade & Ian | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Samba | "Independent Women" — Destiny's Child | Bottom two |
| Chris & Ola | 28 (7, 7, 7, 7) | American Smooth | "Jimmy Mack" — Martha Reeves and the Vandellas | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) | Samba | "Daddy Cool" — Boney M. | Safe |
| Zöe & James | 33 (8, 8, 9, 8) | American Smooth | "My Girl" — The Temptations | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 18 (3, 6, 4, 5) | Samba | "Give It Up" — KC & The Sunshine Band | Safe |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | American Smooth | "Chim Chim Cher-ee" — Cliff Richard | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 32 (8, 8, 8, 8) | Samba | "Good Lovin'" — The Young Rascals | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | American Smooth | "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" — Dean Martin | Safe |
| Jo & Brendan | 14 (2, 5, 3, 4) | Samba | "Superstition" — Stevie Wonder | Eliminated |
| Ali & Brian | 37 (9, 9, 9, 10) | American Smooth | "A Foggy Day in London Town" — Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 28 (7, 7, 7, 7) | Samba | "He's the Greatest Dancer" — Sister Sledge | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Jade & Ian
* Dixon: Jade & Ian
* Tonioli: Jade & Ian
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jade & Ian

### Week 7

Musical guest: Bee Gees — "You Should Be Dancing"
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Natalie & Vincent | 30 (7, 8, 7, 8) | Jive | "Good Golly Miss Molly" — Little Richard | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) | Paso doble | "El Gato Montes" — Ramon Cortez Pasodoble Orchestra | Bottom two |
| Craig & Flavia | 24 (5, 7, 7, 5) | Waltz | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" — Elton John | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | Cha-cha-cha | "Shake Your Groove Thing" — Peaches & Herb | Safe |
| Jade & Ian | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Foxtrot | "A Recipe for Making Love" — Harry Connick, Jr. | Safe |
| Zöe & James | 32 (7, 8, 9, 8) | Samba | "Boogie Nights" — Heatwave | Eliminated |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 24 (4, 8, 7, 5) | Rumba | "Licence To Kill" — Gladys Knight | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 33 (8, 9, 8, 8) | Viennese waltz | "Once Around the Block" — Badly Drawn Boy | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) | Tango | "Back to Black" — Amy Winehouse | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 39 (9, 10, 10, 10) | Quickstep | "Down With Love" — Holly Palmer & Michael Bublé | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Ali & Brian
* Dixon: Zöe & James
* Tonioli: Ali & Brian
* Goodman: Ali & Brian

### Week 8: Blackpool Week

Musical guest: Rod Stewart — "It's the Same Old Song"
This week's episode was staged in the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, Lancashire. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Tango | "You Really Got Me" — The Kinks | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | Quickstep | "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano" — Fiorello | Safe |
| Jade & Ian | 33 (8, 8, 9, 8) | Jive | "Flip, Flop, Fly" — The Blues Brothers | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 40 (10, 10, 10, 10) | Viennese waltz | "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" — Etta James | Safe |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 25 (6, 7, 6, 6) | Salsa | "Acuyuye" — D.L.G | Bottom two |
| Laila & Anton | 30 (7, 7, 8, 8) | Paso doble | "Layla" — Derek and the Dominos | Safe |
| Phil & Katya | 28 (6, 8, 7, 7) | Rumba | "Maybe I'm Amazed" — Paul McCartney | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) | Foxtrot | "I Could Have Danced All Night" — Frank Sinatra | Safe |
| Craig & Flavia | 17 (3, 5, 4, 5) | Cha-cha-cha | "Easy Lover" — Phil Collins | Eliminated |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Ricky G. & Erin
* Dixon: Ricky G. & Erin
* Tonioli: Ricky G. & Erin
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ricky G. & Erin

### Week 9

Musical guest: Cast of Jersey Boys — "Beggin'"
Bruce Forsyth did not attend the live show due to influenza; Ronnie Corbett stepped in as guest host.
Laila Rouass only performed half of her rumba due to a backstage injury. The judges scored the dance only on what they saw. Jade Johnson also suffered a knee injury during dress rehearsal and was unable to perform on the live show. Under the rules of the show, she was granted a bye to the following week.
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Phil & Katya | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | American Smooth | "Come Fly with Me" — Frank Sinatra | Eliminated |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Jive | "Rip It Up" — Little Richard | Safe |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | Viennese waltz | "Nights in White Satin" — The Moody Blues | Bottom two |
| Chris & Ola | 30 (6, 8, 9, 7) | Paso doble | "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" — The Darkness | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 22 (3, 7, 6, 6) | Rumba | "Rule the World" — Take That | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 34 (8, 9, 9, 8) | Foxtrot | "Magic Moments" — Perry Como | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 35 (9, 8, 9, 9) | Cha-cha-cha | "I Gotta Feeling" — The Black Eyed Peas | Safe |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Ricky G. & Erin
* Dixon: Phil & Katya
* Tonioli: Phil & Katya
* Goodman: Ricky G. & Erin (Since the other judges were not unanimous, Len Goodman, as head judge, made the final decision to save Ricky G. & Erin)

### Week 10

Musical guest: Dame Shirley Bassey — "This Time"
Jade Johnson withdrew from the competition earlier in the week due to her prior injury.
Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Ali & Brian | 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) | Foxtrot | "Haven't Met You Yet" — Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 26 (6, 7, 8, 5) | Samba | "Holiday" — Madonna | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 29 (7, 8, 7, 7) | Viennese waltz | "A New Day Has Come" — Celine Dion | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 36 (9, 8, 10, 9) | American Smooth | "Over the Rainbow" — Eva Cassidy | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 29 (6, 8, 7, 8) | Waltz | "Fascination" — Nat King Cole | Bottom two |
| Ricky G. & Erin | 22 (5, 6, 6, 5) | Tango | "U Got the Look" — Prince | Eliminated |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Laila & Anton
* Dixon: Laila & Anton
* Tonioli: Laila & Anton
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Laila & Anton

### Week 11

Musical guests: James Morrison & Nelly Furtado — "Broken Strings"
Each couple performed either the Charleston or rock 'n' roll, and then all couples participated in a group Viennese waltz for individual points. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Chris & Ola | 34 (8, 8, 9, 9) | Charleston | "Fat Sam's Grand Slam" — Bugsy Malone | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 31 (7, 8, 8, 8) | Rock 'n' roll | "Hound Dog" — Elvis Presley | Bottom two |
| Ali & Brian | 37 (9, 9, 10, 9) | Charleston | "Pencil Full of Lead" — Paolo Nutini | Safe |
| Natalie & Vincent | 26 (5, 7, 7, 7) | Rock 'n' roll | "Long Tall Sally" — Little Richard | Eliminated |
| Laila & Anton | 31 (6, 9, 8, 8) | Charleston | "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" — Firehouse Five Plus Two | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 10 | Group Viennese waltz | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel |
| Chris & Ola | 7 | Group Viennese waltz | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel |
| Laila & Anton | 8 | Group Viennese waltz | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel |
| Natalie & Vincent | 7 | Group Viennese waltz | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 9 | Group Viennese waltz | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel | "Piano Man" — Billy Joel |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Dixon: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Tonioli: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ricky W. & Natalie

### Week 12: Quarter-final

Individual judges' scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli.
Musical guest: Bette Midler — "The Rose"
Each couple performed two routines, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Ali & Brian | 42 (8, 9, 8, 9, 8) | Tango | "Born to Be Wild" — Steppenwolf | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 44 (9, 9, 8, 9, 9) | Samba | "Change" — Daniel Merriweather | Safe |
| Laila & Anton | 33 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7) | American Smooth | "My Kind of Girl" — Matt Monro | Eliminated |
| Laila & Anton | 26 (5, 5, 6, 5, 5) | Salsa | "Cogele el Gusto" — Wayne Gorbea | Eliminated |
| Chris & Ola | 41 (8, 8, 8, 9, 8) | Waltz | "At This Moment" — Billy Vera and the Beaters | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 39 (8, 8, 8, 8, 7) | Samba | "Cuba" — Gibson Brothers | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 48 (9, 9, 10, 10, 10) | Foxtrot | "Too Marvelous for Words" — Frank Sinatra | Bottom two |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 47 (9, 10, 9, 10, 9) | Cha-cha-cha | "Sunshine of Your Love" — Spanky Wilson | Bottom two |

#### Judges' votes to save

* Horwood: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Bussell: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Dixon: Ricky W. & Natalie
* Tonioli: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ricky W. & Natalie
* Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ricky W. & Natalie

### Week 13: Semi-final

Individual judges' scores in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli.
Musical guest: Lily Allen — "Not Fair"
Each couple performed two routines, one of which was the Argentine tango and the other of which was selected by the judges. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Chris & Ola | 38 (7, 7, 8, 8, 8) | Rumba | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" — Bonnie Tyler | Safe |
| Chris & Ola | 42 (8, 8, 9, 9, 8) | Argentine tango | "Bust Your Windows" — Jazmine Sullivan | Safe |
| Ali & Brian | 42 (8, 8, 9, 8, 9) | Argentine tango | "Pa Bailar" — Bajofondo Tango Club | Eliminated |
| Ali & Brian | 50 (10, 10, 10, 10, 10) | American Smooth | "Come Dance with Me" — Frank Sinatra | Eliminated |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 47 (9, 9, 10, 9, 10) | Waltz | "Kissing You" — Des'ree | Safe |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 49 (9, 10, 10, 10, 10) | Argentine tango | "Verano Porteno" — Astor Piazzolla | Safe |

### Week 14: Final

Individual judges' scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli.

#### Show 1

Musical guests: Alesha Dixon & Bruce Forsyth — "Something's Gotta Give"
Each couple performed one routine (either their highest-scoring ballroom dance or their highest-scoring Latin dance), and then both couples participated in a group Lindy Hop for individual points. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 50 (10, 10, 10, 10, 10) | Quickstep | "Down with Love" — Holly Palmer & Michael Bublé |
| Chris & Ola | 46 (9, 9, 9, 10, 9) | Foxtrot | "I Could Have Danced All Night" — Frank Sinatra |
| Chris & Ola | 44 (8, 9, 9, 9, 9) | Group Lindy Hop | "Sing, Sing, Sing" — Louis Prima |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 43 (8, 8, 9, 9, 9) | Group Lindy Hop | "Sing, Sing, Sing" — Louis Prima |

#### Show 2

Each couple performed two routines, one of which was their showdance routine and the other of which was either their highest-scoring ballroom dance or their highest-scoring Latin dance, whichever they had not performed the night before. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
| Couple | Scores | Dance | Music | Result |
| Chris & Ola | 50 (10, 10, 10, 10, 10) | Charleston | "Fat Sam's Grand Slam" — Bugsy Malone | Winners |
| Chris & Ola | 46 (9, 9, 9, 10, 9) | Showdance | "Do You Love Me" — The Contours | Winners |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 48 (9, 10, 9, 10, 10) | Cha-cha-cha | "Sunshine of Your Love" — Spanky Wilson | Runners-up |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | 49 (10, 9, 10, 10, 10) | Showdance | "Last Dance" — Donna Summer | Runners-up |

## Dance chart

The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week:
* Week 1: Cha-cha-cha or rumba AND tango or waltz; group merengue
* Week 2: Cha-cha-cha or rumba AND tango or waltz; group merengue
* Week 3: One unlearned dance (paso doble or quickstep)
* Week 4: One unlearned dance (foxtrot or salsa)
* Week 5: One unlearned dance (jive or Viennese waltz)
* Week 6: One unlearned dance (American Smooth or samba)
* Weeks 7–10: One unlearned dance
* Week 11: Charleston or rock 'n' roll AND group Viennese waltz
* Week 12 (Quarterfinal): Two unlearned dances
* Week 13 (Semifinal): Argentine tango & judges' choice
* Week 14 (Final): Highest-scoring ballroom dance, highest-scoring Latin dance, group Lindy Hop & showdance
Strictly Come Dancing (series 7) - Dance chart :
| Couple | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Couple | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Chris & Ola | Tango | Rumba | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Quickstep | Salsa | Jive | American Smooth | Cha-cha-cha | Foxtrot | Paso doble | Viennese waltz | Charleston | Group Viennese waltz | Waltz | Samba | Rumba | Argentine tango | Foxtrot | Group Lindy Hop | Charleston | Showdance |
| Ricky W. & Natalie | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Waltz | Rumba | Paso doble | Salsa | Viennese waltz | Samba | Quickstep | Tango | Jive | American Smooth | Rock 'n' roll | Group Viennese waltz | Foxtrot | Cha-cha-cha | Waltz | Argentine tango | Quickstep | Group Lindy Hop | Cha-cha-cha | Showdance |
| Ali & Brian | Waltz | Rumba | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Quickstep | Salsa | Jive | American Smooth | Paso doble | Viennese waltz | Cha-cha-cha | Foxtrot | Charleston | Group Viennese waltz | Tango | Samba | Argentine tango | American Smooth | | | | |
| Laila & Anton | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Tango | Cha-cha-cha | Quickstep | Foxtrot | Jive | Samba | Viennese waltz | Paso doble | Rumba | Waltz | Charleston | Group Viennese waltz | American Smooth | Salsa | | | | | | |
| Natalie & Vincent | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Tango | Cha-cha-cha | Paso doble | Salsa | Viennese waltz | American Smooth | Jive | Quickstep | Foxtrot | Samba | Rock 'n' roll | Group Viennese waltz | | | | | | | | |
| Ricky G. & Erin | Waltz | Cha-cha-cha | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Paso doble | Foxtrot | Jive | American Smooth | Rumba | Salsa | Viennese waltz | Tango | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jade & Ian | Waltz | Cha-cha-cha | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Quickstep | Salsa | Viennese waltz | Samba | Foxtrot | Jive | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Phil & Katya | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Waltz | Cha-cha-cha | Quickstep | Salsa | Viennese waltz | Samba | Tango | Rumba | American Smooth | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Craig & Flavia | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Tango | Rumba | Quickstep | Foxtrot | Jive | Samba | Waltz | Cha-cha-cha | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Zöe & James | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Waltz | Rumba | Paso doble | Foxtrot | Jive | American Smooth | Samba | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jo & Brendan | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Tango | Rumba | Paso doble | Foxtrot | Viennese waltz | Samba | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Joe & Kristina | Tango | Cha-cha-cha | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Paso doble | Foxtrot | Jive | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lynda & Darren | Tango | Cha-cha-cha | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Paso doble | Foxtrot | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rav & Aliona | Tango | Rumba | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Quickstep | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Richard & Lilia | Group Merengue | Group Merengue | Waltz | Cha-cha-cha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Martina & Matthew | Waltz | Rumba | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Reception

In September 2009 Strictly Come Dancing earned a place in the Guinness World Records as the "most successful reality television format", with licensing rights sold to broadcasters in 38 countries. Nonetheless, the sixth series' audiences had suffered as a result of direct clashes with ITV rival The X Factor. The BBC's decision in August 2009 to screen the seventh series on Saturday nights only was partly an attempt to reduce conflict with the rival talent show, as ITV had hinted that The X Factor's results show would be broadcast on Sunday evening. Sources at the BBC described the move as "better for the viewers... people at home lose out if things are competing against one another... We wanted to make Strictly Come Dancing an unmissable TV event".
However, the BBC still came under intense criticism when the extended Saturday show, initially running from 7–9pm, clashed almost entirely with The X Factor's main show. ITV sources accused the BBC of "effectively splitting the audience". Writing in The Guardian George Dixon, head of scheduling for BBC One, argued that "the ability of viewers to see programmes again, whether via personal video recorders like Sky+, online catch-up services including iPlayer or on channels such as E4 or ITV2, [makes] the notion of 'forcing' viewers to watch... outdated", adding that "There are around seven repeats of The X Factor on ITV1 and ITV2 each week".
The scheduling conflict ended with The X Factor securing a higher audience throughout the series. On 22 October 2009, the BBC rescheduled the Saturday show, now down to eight contestants, so that the overlap between the two programs was only 45 minutes. The BBC denied that the move was in direct response to the success of its ITV rival, saying instead that the move was to accommodate a new series with impressionist Jon Culshaw. Strictly Come Dancing's runtime, previously fixed at two hours, was also expected to decrease as contestants were progressively eliminated, leading to a further reduction in overlap.

## Ratings

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.
| Episode | Date | Official rating (millions) | Weekly rank for BBC One | Weekly rank for all UK TV |
| Week 1 | 18 September | 8.92 | 2 | 6 |
| Week 1 results | 19 September | 8.43 | 5 | 9 |
| Week 2 | 25 September | 8.10 | 6 | 12 |
| Week 2 results | 26 September | 8.68 | 2 | 7 |
| Week 3 | 3 October | 9.06 | 2 | 6 |
| Week 4 | 10 October | 8.82 | 4 | 11 |
| Week 5 | 17 October | 8.44 | 4 | 11 |
| Week 6 | 24 October | 8.88 | 5 | 12 |
| Week 7 | 31 October | 9.14 | 2 | 8 |
| Week 8 | 7 November | 9.46 | 2 | 7 |
| Week 9 | 14 November | 10.10 | 1 | 4 |
| Week 10 | 21 November | 9.59 | 3 | 11 |
| Week 11 | 28 November | 9.73 | 1 | 6 |
| Week 12 | 5 December | 9.43 | 1 | 7 |
| Week 13 | 12 December | 8.94 | 2 | 8 |
| Week 13 results | 12 December | 8.47 | 4 | 12 |
| Week 14 | 19 December | 10.50 | 2 | 2 |
| Week 14 results | 19 December | 11.29 | 1 | 1 |