Series 16

## Series Chronology

The **sixteenth series** of *Strictly* commenced with the launch show on 8th September 2018, with the live shows commencing on 22nd September.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as presenters, with Zoe Ball returning to present *It Takes Two*. The judging panel all returned for the series.

The series was won by investigative journalist and television presenter Stacey Dooley and her professional partner, Kevin Clifton. Like the previous series, there were three couples placing second, Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev, Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice, and Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell.

## Development

There were three new dance styles introduced during the series; Contemporary, Theatre/Jazz and Street/Commercial), as part of the "Couple's Choice" category, increasing the total of dance styles during the competition to 18.

The series was also Darcey Bussell's last series as a judge, and Pasha Kovalev's last series as a professional.

## Professionals

On 30th May 2018, the professional lineup for Series 16 was announced, with Brendan Cole and Chloe Hewitt leaving the show. Three new professionals joined the show, including Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe and Luba Mushtuk.

One again, Neil Jones did not get a celebrity partner, and neither did Mushtuk or Radebe. However, Di Prima did.

## Couples

On 13th August, Katie Piper, Faye Tozer and Danny John-Jules were announced as the first celebrities joining the celebrity lineup for the series. Celebrity reveals continued that month, concluding on 21st August on *Good Morning Britain*.

## Scoring Chart

*Red numbers*  indicate the couples with the lowest score for each week.
Green numbers  indicate the couples with the highest score for each week.
"-" indicates the couple(s) that did not dance that week.
     indicates the couple that was eliminated that week.
     indicates the couple who was in the bottom two but was not eliminated.
     indicates the couple withdrew from the competition that week.
     indicates the winning couple.
     indicates the runner-up couple.
     indicates the third place couple.
### Average Chart

*This table only counts dances scored on a 40-point scale (where the additional points from the Lindy Hop-a-thon in Week 10 are not included).*

## Dance Scoring

### Highest and Lowest Scoring Performances

* The best and worst performances in each dance style, according to the judges' 40-point scale.

### Couples' Highest and Lowest Scoring Dances

*The highest and lowest performances of each couple during the series. Scores cast in Week 5, when there were only three judges, have been adjusted to show a score out of 40.*

## 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, Shirley Ballas, Bruno Tonioli.*

### Launch Show

* *Featuring musical guests, Nile Rodgers & Chic feat. Craig David & Stefflon Don, with a performance of their song, "Sober".*

### Week 2

* *Featuring musical guest, George Ezra, with a performance of his song "Shotgun".*

**Dance Off:** Susannah & Anton, Lee & Nadiya

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Lee & Nadiya
* Bussell: Lee & Nadiya
* Tonioli: Lee & Nadiya
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Lee & Nadiya.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Susannah & Anton

### Week 3: Movies Week

* *Featuring musical guest, Gladys Knight, with a performance of "Licence to Kill".*

**Dance Off:** Lee & Nadiya, Charles & Karen

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Charles & Karen
* Bussell: Charles & Karen
* Tonioli: Charles & Karen
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Lee & Nadiya.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Lee & Nadiya

### Week 4

* *Featuring musical guest band, Backstreet Boys, with a performance featuring a medley of their songs, "Larger Than Life", "I Want It That Way", "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)".*

**Dance Off:** Katie & Gorka, Charles & Karen

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Charles & Karen
* Bussell: Charles & Karen
* Tonioli: Charles & Karen
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Charles & Karen.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Katie & Gorka

### Week 5

*Individual judges scores given in the chart below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas, Alfonso Ribeiro.*

* Tonioli was absent this week due to a scheduling conflict with the American version, *Dancing With the Stars*, where former Dancing With the Stars contestant, Alfonso Ribeiro, stepped in as guest judge.
* *Featuring musical guest, Paloma Faith, with a performance of "Loyal".*

**Dance Off:** Seann & Katya, Vick & Graziano

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Vick & Graziano
* Bussell: Seann & Katya
* Ribeiro: Seann & Katya
* Ballas : Seann & Katya

**Eliminated Couple**: Vick & Graziano

### Week 6: Halloween Week

* *Featuring musical guest, Rita Ora, with a performance of her song, "Let You Love Me".*

**Dance Off:** Graeme & Oti, Seann & Katya

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Graeme & Oti
* Bussell: Graeme & Oti
* Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Graeme & Oti.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Seann & Katya

### Week 7

* *Featuring musical guests, The Kingdom Choir, with an Aretha Franklin medley, and Jess Glynne with a performance of "Thursday".*

**Dance Off:** Dr. Ranj & Janette, Charles & Karen

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Dr. Ranj & Janette
* Bussell: Charles & Karen
* Tonioli: Charles & Karen
* Ballas: Charles & Karen

**Eliminated Couple**: Dr. Ranj & Janette

### Week 8

* *Featuring musical guests, RAF Spitfires Choir, with a performance of "Rise Up", and Andrea & Matteo Bocelli, with a performance of "Fall on Me".*

**Dance Off:** Danny & Amy, Graeme & Oti

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Danny & Amy
* Bussell: Graeme & Oti
* Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
* Ballas: Graeme & Oti

**Eliminated Couple**: Danny & Amy

### Week 9: Blackpool Week

* *Featuring musical guests, Gloria Estefan, with a medley performance featuring, "Dr. Beat", "Conga", "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "1-2-3" and "Get On Your Feet"; and Take That, with a performance of "Out of Our Heads".*

**Dance Off:** Graeme & Oti, Kate & Aljaž

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Graeme & Oti
* Bussell: Graeme & Oti
* Tonioli: Graeme & Oti
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Graeme & Oti.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Kate & Aljaž

### Week 10

* *Featuring musical guest, Rod Stewart, with a performance of his song, "Farewell".*

**Dance Off:** Graeme & Oti, Ashley & Pasha

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
* Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
* Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Ashley & Pasha.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Graeme & Oti

### Week 11: Musicals Week (Quarter-Final)

* *Featuring an opening professionals dance with musical guest, Trevor Dion Nicholas with a performance of "The Rhythm of Life", and musical guest Adam Lambert, with a performance of "We Are The Champions".*

**Dance Off:** Ashley & Pasha, Charles & Karen

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Ballas, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
* Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
* Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Ashley & Pasha.*

**Eliminated Couple**: Charles & Karen

### Week 12: Semi-Final

* *Featuring musical guest band, Little Mix, with a performance of their song, "Woman Like Me".*

**Dance Off:** Ashley & Pasha, Lauren & AJ

* *Due to performing two dances on Saturday night, the two couples chose one of their routines to perform again in the Dance Off; Ashley & Pasha chose their American Smooth, and Lauren & AJ chose their Tango.*

*Judges' votes to save: (in event of tie, Goodman, as Head Judge, has deciding vote)*

* Horwood: Ashley & Pasha
* Bussell: Ashley & Pasha
* Tonioli: Ashley & Pasha
* Ballas: *did not vote, but would have saved Ashley & Pasha*

**Eliminated Couple**: Lauren & AJ

### Week 13: Final

* *Featuring musical guest, Michael Bublé, with a performance of "Such a Night"*

**Strictly Champions**: Stacey & Kevin