Strictly Come Dancing returned for its thirteenth series on BBC One with a launch show on 5 September 2015, and the live shows beginning on 25 September 2015. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned to present the launch show and the live shows while Zoe Ball returned to present Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli all returned as judges.

The series was won by The Wanted band member Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani on 19 December.

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.

Professional dancers 
On 23 April 2015, the list of professionals who were returning for the thirteenth series was revealed. Professionals from the previous series who did not return included Trent Whiddon and Iveta Lukosiute. Robin Windsor, who had not taken part in the previous series due to an injury, did not return for this series, though he would be involved in the spin-off show It Takes Two. Joanne Clifton was also involved in It Takes Two and appeared in the 2015 Children in Need and Christmas specials. Three new professional dancers were introduced: Russian dancer Gleb Savchenko, Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice, and South African dancer Oti Mabuse.

Couples
In the thirteenth series, there were fifteen celebrity contestants. On 10 August 2015, broadcaster Jeremy Vine was the first celebrity announced for the series, with more celebrities revealed throughout the month. The lineup was fully announced on 27 August 2015 on The One Show.

Scoring chart
The highest score each week is indicated in  with a dagger (), while the lowest score each week is indicated in  with a double-dagger ().

Color key:

Notes

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, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.

Week 1
Six of the couples performed on the first night and the other nine couples performed on the second night. There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Night 1 (Friday)

Night 2 (Saturday)

Week 2
Musical guest: Rod Stewart — "Please"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Jamelia & Tristan
Bussell: Jamelia & Tristan
Tonioli: Jamelia & Tristan
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamelia & Tristan

Week 3: Movie Week
Musical guest: Andrea Bocelli — "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (from Evita)

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Ainsley & Natalie
Bussell: Ainsley & Natalie
Tonioli: Ainsley & Natalie
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Ainsley & Natalie

Week 4
Musical guest: Will Young — "Joy"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Kirsty & Brendan
Bussell: Kirsty & Brendan
Tonioli: Kirsty & Brendan
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Kirsty & Brendan

Week 5
Musical guest: Bryan Adams — "Brand New Day"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Jamelia & Tristan
Bussell: Jamelia & Tristan
Tonioli: Jamelia & Tristan
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamelia & Tristan

Week 6: Halloween Week
Musical guest: James Morrison — "Demons"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Jamelia & Tristan
Bussell: Jamelia & Tristan 
Tonioli: Jamelia & Tristan
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamelia & Tristan

Week 7
Musical guest: Seal — "Every Time I'm With You"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Kellie & Kevin
Bussell: Kellie & Kevin
Tonioli: Kellie & Kevin
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Kellie & Kevin

Week 8
Musical guests:
Years & Years — "King"
Brandon Flowers — "Still Want You"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Jamelia & Tristan
Bussell: Jamelia & Tristan
Tonioli: Jamelia & Tristan
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamelia & Tristan

Week 9: Blackpool Week
Musical guests:
Anastacia — "I'm Outta Love"
Take That — "Hey Boy"

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.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Peter & Janette 
Bussell: Peter & Janette 
Tonioli: Peter & Janette 
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Jamelia & Tristan

Week 10
Musical guests:
Adam Lambert — "Another Lonely Night"
Il Divo — "¿Quien Será? (Sway)"

Each couple performed one routine, and then all couples participated in a quickstep marathon for additional points. Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Kellie & Kevin
Bussell:  Kellie & Kevin
Tonioli: Kellie & Kevin
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Kellie & Kevin

Week 11: Musicals Week (Quarterfinals)
Musical guest: Josh Groban — "Over the Rainbow"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Georgia & Giovanni
Bussell: Georgia & Giovanni
Tonioli: Georgia & Giovanni
Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Georgia & Giovanni

Week 12: Semifinals
Musical guest: Kylie Minogue — "I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter"

Each couple performed two routines. Couples are listed in the order they performed. 

Judges' votes to save
Horwood: Anita & Gleb
Bussell: Katie & Anton
Tonioli: Katie & Anton
Goodman: Katie & Anton

Week 13: Finale
Musical guest: Ellie Goulding — "Love Me like You Do"

During the first show, each couple performed two routines, one of which was their Showdance and the other of which was chosen by the judges. At the end of the first show, the couple was the lowest combined scores was eliminated. During the second show, each couple performed their favourite dance of the series. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Show 1

Show 2

Dance chart
The celebrities and professional partners danced one of these routines for each corresponding week:
Week 1: One unlearned dance
Week 2: One unlearned dance
Week 3 (Movie Week): One unlearned dance
Week 4: One unlearned dance
Week 5: One unlearned dance
Week 6 (Halloween Night): One unlearned dance
Week 7: One unlearned dance
Week 8: One unlearned dance
Week 9: One unlearned dance
Week 10: One unlearned dance & quickstep marathon
Week 11 (Musical Week): One unlearned dance
Week 12: Two unlearned dances
Week 13 (Show 1): Judges' choice & Showdance
Week 13 (Show 2): Favourite dance of the series

Ratings
Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All numbers are in millions and provided by BARB.

References

External links

2015 British television seasons
Series 13