Strictly Come Dancing returned to screens with a peak audience of five million viewers for its first live show of the series, according to the BBC.
The two-and-a-half-hour broadcast averaged 4.8 million viewers on BBC One as the newest group of celebrities took to the dancefloor with their professional partners.
A spokesperson for the show said: "Strictly was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of five million viewers.
"As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world."
The launch episode the previous week attracted a slightly higher peak of 5.8 million viewers and an average of 5.3 million.
This year’s series opened with a refreshed presenting line-up, as Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe stepped in to replace long-standing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
Saturday’s episode currently tops BBC iPlayer’s most popular chart.
Social media personality John Nellis led the leaderboard alongside professional partner Katya Jones, impressing the judges with a foxtrot to Alex Warren’s Ordinary.
For all things Strictly, read our article here - Latest Strictly Come Dancing updates including start date, new hosts, lineup and more
They earned 31 points, with judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas describing it as "the best dance of the night," while Craig Revel Horwood called it "classy, elegant, and graceful."
Australian singer Delta Goodrem and partner Kai Widdrington followed closely behind with 29 points for their samba to Baiana by Barbatuques.
The episode ended with a three-way tie at the bottom of the scoreboard, each with 15 points.
Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec performed a cha cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Sir Elton John and Kiki Dee.
They were joined by ex-footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, who also performed a cha cha, and Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, who danced a quickstep.
Despite bringing in millions of viewers, the first live show had mixed reactions from audiences.
The 2026 series saw a new title sequence, with this year's colour scheme changing to purple and pink and a slight change in the music.
But Strictly viewers at home do not seem very happy with the title update.
As one fan wrote on X, "The titles are awful..."
Another person said, "PLEASE go back to the original intro."
A third Strictly viewer shared, "Hate the new opening titles #strictly if it’s not broke, don’t fix it."
The show did not feature a public vote or elimination.
Strictly Come Dancing returns for movie week on Saturday.
Have you been watching Strictly Come Dancing? Let us know in the comments.
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