Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

Last updated

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
StrictlyITT.jpeg
Also known asStrictly: It Takes Two
It Takes Two
Developed by BBC Studios
Presented by
Starring
Composers
  • Dan McGrath
  • Josh Phillips
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series19
No. of episodes1,060 (as of 16 December 2022) [1]
Production
Production locations
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network BBC Two
Release25 October 2004 (2004-10-25) –
present
Related

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two (also known as Strictly: It Takes Two or simply It Takes Two) is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing . First aired on 25 October 2004, it is broadcast from Monday to Friday during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30 pm.

Contents

History

It Takes Two started broadcasting during the second series of the main show in Autumn 2004, replacing the companion show to the first series, Strictly Come Dancing: On Three, which had been broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three and hosted by Justin Lee Collins. Before the 2010 series, BBC Two Scotland did not broadcast the show on Thursdays, when locally produced Gaelic language programming aired in the slot instead, though during the 2008 and 2009 series the Thursday night show was carried as an alternative digital stream via BBC Red Button.

The show was originally hosted by Claudia Winkleman until 2010. In 2011, Zoe Ball took over as host. [2] On 18 April 2019, it was announced that Rylan Clark would be joining the show as a co-host alongside Ball. [3] On 17 May 2021, Ball revealed that she would be leaving the show after 10 years. [4] On 10 June 2021, it was announced on The One Show , that Janette Manrara would be taking over from Ball, hosting alongside Clark. [5] On 12 April 2023, it was announced that Clark would be stepping down from presenting the show after 4 years. Fleur East was announced as his replacement in June 2023. [6]

Format

The programme features interviews and training footage of the couples competing in the main Saturday night show, opinions from the judges on the previous Saturday show and the training footage for the next, and interviews with celebrities who have been watching the show. The show features half-hour episodes each Monday to Thursday, with an extended one-hour episode on Friday in front of a live studio audience. During the show, the presenters are joined each week by regular dance experts, with Ian Waite, Karen Hardy, Neil Jones and Chloe Hewitt all being former contributors.

Presenters scheduling

For the 2019 series, it was announced that Rylan Clark would join the program as a co-host. He would present on Mondays and Tuesdays, interviewing both the leaving pair, and the other pair in the dance-off. Zoe Ball would then present the Wednesday and Thursday shows with Ian Waite and Vicky Gill. Clark and Ball co-presented on Friday, with Gethin Jones remaining as a roving reporter. [7]

This schedule was changed in 2020, with Ball presenting on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Clark presenting on Thursdays and Fridays. [8] In the 2021 series, with Manrara replacing Ball, Clark was presenting on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays while Manrara did so on Wednesdays and Thursdays. In 2023, Fleur East replaces Clark and will host Monday and Tuesdays with Manrara continuing to host Wednesday and Thursday. The pair will alternate duties on a Friday.

Current segments

Studio segments

Other recurring segments

YearWinnerDance StepNumber achieved
2011 Artem Chigvintsev Botafogos 79
2012 Flavia Cacace Kick ball change 76
2013 Kevin Clifton Drunken sailors77
2014 Karen Hauer and Aljaž Skorjanec New Yorkers39
2016 Giovanni Pernice Jive kicks and flicks55
2017Giovanni Pernice Charleston swivels24
2018 Oti Mabuse Toe-heel swivels48
2019 Graziano Di Prima Botafogos90
2020 Nadiya Bychkova Fleckerls25
2021Nadiya BychkovaPatacakes38
2022 Amy Dowden Back Charleston kick-steps19
2023 Lauren Oakley Quickstep pendulums15

Previous segments

In 2013, a new feature was shown, where dancer Natalie Lowe was set a challenge to teach a normal couple, known only as Gordon and Mel from Southampton, how to dance ahead of their wedding.

In 2014, Robin Windsor was set a challenge to teach the teachers of a school to dance for a performance for the school.

A live phone-in segment featured during the autumn 2004 series of the main show, where viewers could speak to the contestants on air.

Series overview

SeriesStart dateEnd datePresentersNo. of weeksLocation(s)
225 October 200410 December 2004 Claudia Winkleman —7 h Studio
317 October 200516 December 20059
47 October 200622 December 200612
58 October 200721 December 2007
622 September 200819 December 200813TC11, BBC Television Centre
720 September 200918 December 2009
84 October 201017 December 201011
93 October 201116 December 2011 [lower-alpha 2] Zoe Ball
108 October 201221 December 2012TC3, BBC Television Centre
1129 September 201320 December 201312Studio 7, The London Studios
1228 September 201419 December 2014
1327 September 201518 December 2015
1425 September 201616 December 2016
1525 September 201715 December 2017TC2, Television Centre
1624 September 201814 December 2018 h Studio
1723 September 201913 December 2019 Rylan Clark
1826 October 202018 December 20208Stage 6, Elstree Studios [12]
1927 September 202117 December 2021 Janette Manrara 12Studio 2, Riverside Studios
2026 September 202216 December 2022Stage 6, Elstree Studios
2125 September 202315 December 2023 Fleur East

Presenters

Main cast members
PresentersSeasons
23456789101112131415161718192021
Claudia Winkleman Main Guest Guest
Zoe Ball Guest Guest Main
Rylan Clark Main
Janette Manrara Guest Main
Fleur East Guest Main

Studio

The show has been presented from many venues. In 2017, the programme returned to the newly refurbished Studio TC2 at the Television Centre complex in West London. For the 2018 series, the show was broadcast from The Hospital Club TV Studio in London's Covent Garden, due to ITV Daytime programmes now occupying the Television Centre studios. In 2020, The show moved to Stage 6 at Elstree Studios, the first time It Takes Two has been broadcast from the same studio complex as the main show since 2012. [12]

Ratings

The show averages between two and three million viewers each evening and is regularly the most watched show of the day on BBC Two.

Notes

  1. ↑ Jones has guest presented the show a number of times; on 15–16 November 2017 and 2–3 October 2019, when Ball was unwell and on 12, 13, 19 and 20 November 2020 when Clark was self isolating.
  2. ↑ The final episode of Series 8 was broadcast live from Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Friday 16 December 2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Ball</span> British television and radio personality

Zoe Louise Ball is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show Live & Kicking, alongside Jamie Theakston from 1996–1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Winkleman</span> English television presenter (born 1972)

Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman is an English television presenter, radio personality, film critic and journalist. Between 2004 and 2010, she presented Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on weeknights on BBC Two. Since 2010, she has co-presented Strictly Come Dancing's main results show on Sunday nights with Tess Daly on BBC One and since 2014 has been a main co-host alongside Daly on the Saturday night live shows, following the retirement of Sir Bruce Forsyth. She has been nominated three times for the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance for her work on Strictly Come Dancing.

<i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> British television series

Strictly Come Dancing is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of judges. The title of the show is a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing. The format has been exported to 60 other countries under the title Dancing with the Stars, licensed by BBC Worldwide, and led to a modern dance-themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever. The Guinness World Records named Strictly as the world's most successful reality television format in 2010. The series is currently presented by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Bruce Forsyth co-presented the series with Daly until 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Waite</span> British dancer

Ian Waite is a British professional dancer specialising in Latin American dance, a teacher and choreographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvin Odoom</span> British radio DJ and television presenter

Melvin Odoom is a British radio DJ and television presenter. His work on radio has been recognised at the Sony Radio Awards for the Kiss 100 radio breakfast show (2009-2018), and he has presented BBC Radio 1 Livelounge (2019-2021). On television, he has been involved in presenting Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (2002-2009), Basil's Swap Shop (2008), the BRIT Awards 2010 and Must Be the Music (2010), The Xtra Factor (2015, Bang on the Money, and MOBO Awards 2016 as well as being a regular guest celebrity on many television shows.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its third series on 15 October 2005. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to co-present the main show on BBC One, while Claudia Winkleman returned to present the spin-off show, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned as judges.

Janette Manrara Škorjanec is a Cuban-American television presenter, choreographer and professional dancer from Miami, Florida, US. Born to her Cuban parents Luis and Maritza, Janette is the oldest of three. Originally a singer, learning from her Cuban family, she formally studied dance from the age of 19. Manrara is best known for her appearances on the US series So You Think You Can Dance and British dance reality television competition, Strictly Come Dancing. She is married to Slovenian dancer and co-star Aljaž Škorjanec. In June 2021, it was announced that Manrara would co host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two with Rylan Clark and later Fleur East.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its ninth series on 10 September 2011 with a launch show, with the live shows beginning on 30 September and 1 October 2011. The show was broadcast from Wembley Arena on 19 November with all proceeds going to the BBC charity, Children in Need. The finale took place in the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower and was the first episode to air in 3D. It was shown on BBC HD and in cinemas around the country.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its tenth series and began with the launch show on 15 September 2012. The live shows began on 5 October. Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One and Claudia Winkleman returned to present the results show with Daly. Zoë Ball returned to present the spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli all returned and were joined on the judging panel by series 7 guest judge Darcey Bussell, who replaced Alesha Dixon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rylan Clark</span> English media personality

Ross Richard "Rylan" Clark is an English broadcaster and media personality. He was a contestant on the ninth series of the television talent show The X Factor in 2012, which he finished in fifth place. The following year, he appeared on the eleventh series of the reality show Celebrity Big Brother, which he won. Clark went on to present various television shows, including Big Brother's Bit on the Side (2013–2018),This Morning, The Xtra Factor (2016), Up Late with Rylan (2016), Supermarket Sweep (2019–2020), Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two (2019–2022), Ready Steady Cook (2020–2021), and You Are What You Wear (2020).

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eleventh series beginning with a launch show on 7 September 2013, and the live shows beginning on 27 and 28 September 2013. Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to co-present the main show on BBC One, with Claudia Winkleman presenting the results show alongside Daly. Zoe Ball returned as presenter of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli also returned as judges.

Aljaž Škorjanec is a Slovenian dancer and choreographer who has appeared on the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer. In March 2022, he announced, via his Instagram account, that he was leaving the show.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its twelfth series beginning from 7 September 2014 with a launch show, and the live shows began on 26 and 27 September. Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One alongside Claudia Winkleman, who was promoted to co-presenter in addition to the results show after Sir Bruce Forsyth departed the show after the eleventh series; however, Forsyth continued to host the Christmas and Children in Need specials. Zoe Ball returned as presenter of the spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Judges Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli also returned.

Red Nose Day 2015 was a fund-raising event organised by Comic Relief. It was broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of Friday 13th March 2015 in to the early hours of Saturday 14th March 2015 and it was part of the "Face the Funny" campaign.

Strictly Come Dancing Live! is a nationwide arena tour in the United Kingdom which was first staged in 2008 and has continued every year since. It is directed and co-choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its seventeenth series with a launch show on 7 September 2019 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 21 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two alongside new addition Rylan Clark-Neal.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eighteenth series with a launch show on 17 October 2020 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 24 October. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series launched a month later than usual and ran for only nine weeks instead of the usual thirteen. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Clark-Neal was replaced by Gethin Jones for four shows after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its nineteenth series with a launch show on 18 September 2021 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 25 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly: It Takes Two alongside new presenter Janette Manrara, who replaced Zoe Ball. In June 2021, the BBC announced that Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood would return to the judging panel. Anton Du Beke, who served as a guest judge in the previous series, joined the panel in place of Bruno Tonioli, who did not return for the second year in a row due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC Two - Strictly - It Takes Two - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Zoe Ball announced as new host of Strictly – It Takes Two – BBC Press Office, 6 July 2011
  3. ↑ "BBC - Rylan Clark-Neal to join the presenting line-up on BBC Two's It Takes Two - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  4. ↑ "Zoe Ball leaves Strictly: It Takes Two". BBC News. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  5. ↑ "Janette Manrara to join BBC Two's Strictly: It Takes Two as new host". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "Rylan to step down from BBC Strictly It Takes Two". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two is back! Everything you need to know". BBC Newsround. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  8. ↑ TVZone (12 October 2020). "STRICTLY: IT TAKES TWO RETURNS". TVZoneUK. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Ex-Strictly Come Dancing star confirms permanent It Takes Two role". Digital Spy. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Strictly Come 'Dancing Dress Designer Vicky Gill". dsi-london.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing pros are competing for another Guinness World Records title". Guinness World Records. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  12. 1 2 "BBC Studioworks fundamental in the delivery of all new Strictly Come Dancing". BBC Studioworks. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.