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Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Voting Overhaul Confirmed Amid Digital and Judges’ Panel Changes By Jonathan Davies, BBC Entertainment Correspondent The BBC has introduced a significant two-part overhaul to the judging and public engagement structure of Strictly Come Dancing for its 2025 series, impacting both the public participation and the dramatic conclusion of the Sunday night results show. The changes mark a concerted effort by the broadcaster to modernise its competition mechanisms, aligning them with contemporary viewing habits and improving procedural fairness on the judging panel. Central to the reform of strictly-come-dancing-2025-voting is the complete discontinuation of premium rate telephone voting. Viewers wishing to save their favourite celebrities and professional partners will now exclusively use the BBC’s dedicated online system, accessible via a registered BBC Account. This move follows a clear trajectory away from traditional, analogue voting methods across many competitive entertainment formats, reflecting the overwhelming preference of the audience, who, according to BBC data, cast the "overwhelming majority" of their votes online during the 2024 run. A BBC spokesperson confirmed that the decision was driven by the prohibitive cost and increasingly outdated nature of maintaining the phone infrastructure, a situation compounded by telecommunications providers, such as BT, announcing plans to cease offering these services to broadcasters in early 2025. While the majority of the younger viewing demographic has embraced digital voting for several years, the decision has drawn criticism from groups representing older audiences. Dennis Reed, Director of the campaign group Silver Voices, expressed concern that the change risked marginalising a significant segment of the show’s most devoted, long-term viewers.
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"Once again the BBC is showing that it treats its loyal older viewers with contempt," Mr Reed stated in response to the announcement. "Older people who are not online, but enjoy participating through phone polls, are being disenfranchised. The phone vote offered a simple, accessible route to participation, and its removal risks making the show feel like a young person's game, despite its broad appeal. " In addressing these concerns, a BBC representative stressed the commitment to accessibility and viewer support, noting that comprehensive on-screen guides and digital support would be provided throughout the series. They highlighted that the required BBC Account registration is intended to bolster the security and integrity of the public vote, helping to guard against potential manipulation and ballot-stuffing, ensuring a fairer competition overall. The Judges’ Decisive Power Simultaneously, a major shake-up has been introduced regarding the judges’ role in the highly emotive dance-off segment of the results show. For the first time in seven years, Head Judge Shirley Ballas will no longer automatically hold the sole casting vote in the event of a two-to-two split between the panel. Instead, the deciding vote will now rotate weekly among the four judges: Ms Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke.
The identity of the judge holding the critical final say will be announced at the close of the Saturday night live show. This procedural adjustment is understood to be partly in response to the immense pressure and frequent online abuse Ms Ballas has faced over the years, often being the singular figure responsible for the elimination of popular contestants. The judge herself has been vocal about the emotional burden of the role. "The decision to share the casting vote is a welcome evolution that strengthens the integrity of the panel as a collective," commented Dr. Eleanor Finch, a media governance analyst at the University of Westminster. "For years, the final decision has rested on one person, creating a focal point for intense public scrutiny and often unjustified personal attacks. By rotating this responsibility, the show distributes that pressure and reinforces the idea that all four judges are equal authorities in their assessment of technique and performance in the dance-off. " The new dynamic is expected to add a layer of unpredictability to the Sunday night show, forcing each judge to consider the weight of the casting vote and potentially leading to more cautious or strategic decisions throughout the season.
Outlook on the Competition The combination of these changes forms the most significant structural reform to the strictly-come-dancing-2025-voting mechanism in over a decade. The shift to online-only public participation standardises the voting platform, while the revision of the judges' deciding vote aims to democratise the panel's power and protect the integrity of the elimination process. With the first public votes of the 2025 series now cast and processed, the full impact of the digital transition on the leaderboards and elimination patterns is yet to be definitively measured. However, BBC executives maintain that these changes are essential for the longevity of the popular programme, ensuring it remains fair, engaging, and technologically relevant for its diverse, multi-generational audience across the UK. The next few weeks of eliminations will be closely scrutinised to see if these procedural alterations create any shifts in the competition’s traditional dynamics.
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