Strictly Come Dancing: Tom Skinner and Amy Dowden deliver lift-packed salsa ahead of first eliminations
All the updates from week two of the BBC dancing competition
Strictly Come Dancing returned for its second live show of the series on Saturday night.
Amy Dowden, who’s partnered with the controversial businessman Thomas Skinner for the 2025 series, admitted on the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two earlier this week that she was feeling “under the weather” ahead of week two.
However, she still performed a lift-packed salsa to “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden with Skinner - and you certainly wouldn’t have known the pro dancer hadn’t been feeling too great.
The latest series of the BBC competition began with a launch show that saw contestants partnered with their respective professional, followed by a first week of dances in which nobody was eliminated.
In tonight’s episode, the judges’ scores from last week were rolled over and combined with the audience vote, meaning two couples will have to take part in the dreaded dance-off during Sunday’s results show (5 October).
Follow the latest updates below:
Who is taking part in this year's ‘Strictly’?
There are 15 celebrities participating in this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing – and you can find out everything you need to know about them, and which professional dancer they’re paired with, here:
Meet the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestants
A reminder of last week's scores
This week, the judges’ scores from last week will roll over and will then be combined with the viewer vote, meaning two couples will have to take part in the dreaded dance-off tomorrow.
Here’s a reminder of last week’s scores...
Strictly Come Dancing latest: Karen Carney tops leaderboard before major show change
Who's partnered with who?
Strictly’s glittering launch show saw this year’s celebrity cohort partnered with their respective professional dancer.
Here’s a reminder of who’s partnered with who for the 2025 series as they couple’s return to the dance floor:
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 couples – full list of celebrities and their partners
What dances and songs will the couples be performing this week?
Here are this week’s song choices and dances that the couples will be performing:
Karen Carney - Tango to “Training Season” by Dua Lipa
Vicky Pattison - Foxtrot to “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean
Alex Kingston - Samba to “La Bamba” by Connie Francis
Chris Robshaw - Viennese Waltz to “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
Ellie Goldstein - Waltz to “Your Song” by Ellie Goulding
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - Cha Cha Cha to “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Santa Esmeralda
La Voix - Tango to “Objection (Tango)” by Shakira
Ross King - Waltz to “Sunshine on Leith” by The Proclaimers
Stefan Dennis - Cha Cha Cha to '80s hit “Give it Up” by KC & The Sunshine Band
Lewis Cope - Viennese Waltz to “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims
George Clarke - Paso Doble to “Game of Survival” by Ruelle
Thomas Skinner - Salsa to “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helde
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey - Quickstep to “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” by The Blues Brothers
Balvinder Sopal - Charleston to “Been Like This” by Meghan Trainor and T-Pain
Amber Davies - Samba to “Bam Bam” by Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello
Strictly star defends contestants with past dance experience after backlash
Strictly Come Dancing professional Lauren Oakley has defended contestants on this year’s show after they faced backlash for having previous dance experience.
Two of the celebrities of the 2025 edition of the BBC competition, Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope and Love Island winner Amber Davies, have both had dancing training prior to joining the show.
The wife of Rugby player Chris Robshaw, who finished near the bottom of the leaderboard on the opening week of this year’s show, said it was “wild” that some contestants already had more experience than others.
Read Oakley’s response to the backlash here:
Strictly star defends contestants with past dance experience after backlash
Amber Davies addresses past dance experience after fan backlash
Former Love Island winner and West End star Amber Davies addressed her previous dance experience this week after fan backlash.
On Monday's (29 September) It Takes Two, she told Fleur East: “Ballroom and Latin are worlds apart from what I experienced on the West End show... It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”
Strictly’s Amber Davies addresses past dance experience after fan backlash
How will Amber Davies fair after four full days of rehearsals?
The second Strictly live show marks the first time Amber Davies will take to the dance floor after a full four days of rehearsals.
Davies was rushed in as a replacement contestant last week after Dani Dyer was forced to withdraw from the competition due to injury.
She is set to perform a Samba to “Bam Bam” by Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello alongside Nikita Kuzmin.
Kuzmin dubbed the samba the “hardest dance” on Strictly’s roster but added they plan to “shimmy” and “have fun” this weekend.
Let’s see how they get on...
Nikita Kuzmin reveals advice Dani Dyer gave him after her Strictly injury
Dani Dyer quit this year’s Strictly series last week after fracturing her ankle in rehearsals. Kuzmin was subsequently re-partnered with another Love Island winner, Amber Davies.
The pro dancer said his former partner had some wise words to give him as he rushed to choreograph a new routine with Davies. Read the full story here:
Strictly’s Nikita Kuzmin reveals advice Dani Dyer gave him after her injury
Meet Amber Davies: The last-minute Strictly contestant rushed in to replace Dani Dyer
Meet Amber Davies: The Strictly contestant rushed in to replace Dani Dyer
Claudia Winkleman reveals bizarre Strictly Come Dancing pre-show ritual
It won’t just be the celebrity contestants who’re battling their pre-show jitters ahead of week two.
Strictly host Claudia Winkleman has admitted she gets “very, very, nervous” before the cameras roll...
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