BBC Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly announces a 'first' for BBC show

BBC Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly announced that this week's quarter final featured a 'first' for the show in Saturday's episode (November 30).

Following a spectacular routine from the professional dancers, which paid homage to this week's musicals theme, Tess and co-host Claudia Winkleman introduced the judges. All four were dressed up as characters from musicals, with Shirley Ballas unrecognisable in her ensemble as Miss Trunchball from Matilda.

And Claudia told audience and viewers: "We are bringing the West End to the ballroom as we celebrate all things jazz hands." But it was Tess' announcement of a 'first' for the show which really set the tone of things to come.

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She said: "It promises to be a big night because we have never ever had this many tens going into the quarter final." In a performance that was well and truly on trend in the world of musical theatre right now - especially as the blockbuster film adaptation of Wicked has hit cinemas this week - the show opened with Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola performing a Charleston to the production's hit song, 'Popular'.

Other dances on the evening's line-up included Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Škorjanec's Argentine Tango to 'Ex-Wives' from SIX, and Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's Quickstep to 'You're The Top' from Anything Goes.

Musicals Week follows the departure of EastEnders' star Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas last week after a tense dance-off against Olympian Montell Douglas and her pro partner Johannes Radebe.

What's more, The Mirror reports that the 2024 series marks the 20th anniversary of Strictly Come Dancing and follows months of turmoil after one of last year's contestants, Amanda Abbingdon, left early and complained about her off-camera treatment.

But while it was announced in September that complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld following an investigation, it was established that Pernice had not been physically aggressive.

You can watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.