BBC Strictly Come Dancing LIVE: Judges tease jaw-dropping performance

Strictly Come Dancing will be back on our screens this evening, with the first celebrity due to be given the boot from this year's series tomorrow night

The 2024 offering of Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens once again this evening, with the first celebrity set to be booted off this year's series tomorrow night.

The BBC show's 20th anniversary has been slightly marred due to backstage controversies over recent months with several professional dancers departing the line-up. The previous series, clinched by Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, sparked an internal probe following concerns over how competitors were treated.

Accusations aimed at Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice by ex-contestant Amanda Abbington surfaced, which he has refuted; meanwhile, his colleague Graziano Di Prima was given the boot after incriminating rehearsal footage shocked the show's staff.

Last weekend's live shows got off to a flying star as a fresh batch of 15 celebrities stepped onto the dancefloor and began their bid to lift the Glitterball trophy. However, just days on from strutting his stuff with partner Luba Mushtuk, DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles suffered a shoulder injury and his place on the show hung in the balance.

Follow updates in the second week of live shows here.

11:06Aisha Nozari

Unrecognisable judges

Last night, Shirley Ballas, 64, Craig Revel Horwood, 59, Motsi Mabuse, 43, and Anton Du Beke, 58, revealed they will once again showcase their moves in a performance on Sunday night.

The routine will be broadcast ahead of viewers finding out who the first couple to be voted out of the competition will be

The four judges will be joined by this year's professional dancers, including newly returned Aljaž Škorjanec, for the performance. Described as an "avant-garde gothic tango," it will be set to a medley of Prince's When Doves Cry and New Order's Blue Monday, both released in the early 1980s, and the judge’s look unrecognisable!

15:56Zoe Delaney

Who is favourite to leave Strictly Come Dancing this weekend?

It's week three for the 2024 series of Strictly and the BBC show is yet to send a couple home but that all changes this weekend. One celebrity and their professional partner will be sent packing during Sunday night's prerecorded results show after this evening's live performances.

Love Island sensation Tasha Ghouri dazzled near the top of the leaderboard in Season 8 with her energetic Cha Cha to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter, alongside dance pro Aljaz Skorjanec, now standing at odds of 3/1 of winning the show. Hot on her heels is the show's first blind contestant Chris McCausland, coming in at odds of 13/4, having wowed the audience with his and Dianne Buswell's Cha Cha, which was hailed as "one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen."

Toyah Willcox tipped as the likely contender to depart first, priced at 5/4, following a modest score of just 12 points with dance partner Neil Jones.

15:53Zoe Delaney

How does the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard currently look?

Ahead of the second live show the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard has JB Gill and Amy Dowden sitting up top with 31 points. Tipped to win the show this year, JLS star JB danced a classic waltz to Leo Sayer's track When I Need You.

JB already has dancing experience from dancing on-stage and performing in music videos with JLS, and took home the Strictly Christmas trophy back in 2012 with pro Ola Jordan.

Down at the bottom are Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones with just 12 points. Toyah danced to Madonna's Ray of Light with her partner Neil, who has been left out of the line-up in recent weeks. They performed a tango – alongside Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova.