Strictly Come Dancing

- Season 8

(2010)

The Launch Show introduces the 14 new celebrities as they meet their professional partners for the first time. There is also a new set, new dances and three new male dancers. The new partnerships take to the floor for their very first group dance!

In the first live show of the new season, in a brand new set, seven of the contestants (Felicity, Matt, Goldie, Patsy, Scott, Pamela and Paul), and their professional partners perform either a Cha-Cha-Cha or a Waltz. There is no elimination in this first round.

The remaining seven contestants (Jimi, Ann, Gavin, Kara, Michelle, Peter and Tina), and their professional partners take to the dance floor performing either a Cha-Cha-Cha or a Waltz. There is music from special guests Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow.

All 14 couples perform against each other for the first time this season, dancing either a Salsa or a Foxtrot. Last weeks judges points are added to this weeks, with Ann and Anton finding themselves at the bottom of the leader-board.

Claudia joins Tess as co host of this seasons results shows. There is music from special guest Robbie Williams, plus a special group show dance. Peter and Erin, and Goldie and Kristina find themselves in the bottom two, with Goldie and Kristina being the first to be voted out of the competition.

Tina can't compete this week, as she has chickenpox, but the remaining 12 couples perform either a Quickstep or a Rumba. Pamela and James come top of the judges leader board with a score of 35, with Paul and Ola bottom with a score of just 12.

There are two professional dances, including Flavia in a 'Tango Unleashed'. Special guest Peter Andre sings his new single. Paul and Ola, and Michelle and Brendon find themselves in the bottom two, with Paul and Ola receiving the lowest votes and finding themselves out of the competition.

Week four sees the 12 remaining couples perform either a Tango or a Charleston. Michelle Williams dances with Ian Waite this week, as her pro-partner Brendon was unavailable. Scott and Natalie, and Matt and Aliona find themselves tied in first place with 35 judges points, with Peter and Erin at the bottom of the leader-board with just 17.

In the week 4 results show there are two pro-dancer performances, one a 1940s based Jive, the other an Argentine Tango . There is music from special guest Neil Diamond. Michelle and Ian, and Peter and Erin find themselves in the bottom two, with Peter and Erin ultimately leaving the competition.

In this Halloween Special, the remaining 11 couples perform a spooky version of either a Jive, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango or a Viennese Waltz. Kara and Artem receive this season's first '10', while Scott and Natalie top the leader-board with 39 judges points (three '10s' and a '9'). Ann and Anton are bottom with just 16.

There is a pro-group dance to 'Ghostbusters', and a Viennese Waltz from the Show-Dancers. Special guest Alice Cooper performs 'Poison'. Tina and Jared, and Felicity and Vincent both find themselves in the bottom two, with Tina and Jared receiving the lowest combined votes and leaving the competition.

For the first time this season, the 10 remaining couples each perform a different dance. Kara and Artem find themselves top of the judges leader-board, with their Salsa getting a score of 36. Bottom again are Ann and Anton, their Charleston getting just 17 judges points.

In the week 6 results show there is a Rock'n'Roll show dance, plus a Pro-dance Foxtrot. There is music from special guest Bryan Ferry. Jimi and Flavia, and Michelle and Brendon find themselves in the bottom two after the judges scores and viewers votes are added, with Jimi and Flavia being voted off the show, much to the shock of the entire studio audience.

The remaining 9 couples each perform a different dance. Scott and Natalie find themselves at the top of the judges leader-board when their Jive gets a score of 39. Kara and Artem are second with a score of 38 for their Argentine Tango. Ann and Anton again come bottom, with their Foxtrot getting a judges score of just 20.

In the week 7 results show, there is a pro-dance American Smooth, plus music from The Soldiers, Annie Lennox and Alesha Dixon. Michelle and Brendon find themselves in the bottom two for the fourth time, along with Felicity and Vincent, with Michelle and Brendon ultimately leaving the competition.

In a Vegas themed special from the famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, the remaining 8 couples perform either a Samba or an American Smooth. There is also a pro-dance to the sounds of Viva las Vegas. Matt and Aliona find themselves top of the judges leader-board with their Samba receiving a score of 38, with Ann and Anton at the bottom for the 5th time, with just 13.

In the week 8 results show, from the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, there is a pro-dance from the female professional dancers, plus music from the cast of Cirque Du Soleil's Viva Vegas show, plus Duffy. Felicity and Vincent, and Patsy and Robin (for the first time), find themselves in the bottom two, with Felicity and Vincent leaving the competition.

The remaining 7 contestants perform a Jive, American Smooth, Charleston, an Argentine Tango or a Rumba. Ann and Anton find themselves bottom of the judges leader-board for the 6th time with their Titanic-themed Rumba receiving a score of 14, with Pamela and James' Charleston putting them top with a score of 38.

In the week 9 results show there is a pro-dance Jive, a raunchy Rumba from James and Ola, and music from special guest James Blunt. Gavin and Katya, and Patsy and Robin find themselves in the bottom two, with Patsy and Robin being eliminated from the competition.

In the Movie-themed Quarter Final, there is a pro-dance recreating the films Grease, Top Gun, Easter Parade and Pulp Fiction. The remaining 6 couples perform for a place in the Semi Final, with Pamela and James getting the season's first perfect judges score of 40 for their 'Ghost' themed Viennese Waltz, and Ann and Anton bottom again with a score of 14 for their American Smooth.

In the week 10 results show, there is a group show dance to ABBA tunes, Erin and Anton perform a classic Hollywood Waltz to the strains of Moon River, plus music from special guests The Manic Street Preachers. Scott and Natalie, and Ann and Anton find themselves in the bottom two, with Ann and Anton bottom and leaving the competition.

In the first show of the semi-finals, each couple perform two dances, an individual dance and a Swingathon. Kara and Artem get the highest judges score for the individual dance for their Viennese Waltz (39), with Gavin and Katya bottom with a score of 27 for their Samba. The Swingathon sees Gavin and Katya eliminated first to score just 1 point, with Kara and Artem winning and receiving 5 points. Show One ends with Kara and Artem leading with 44 judges points, and Gavin and Katya bottom with 28.

In the second show of the semi-finals, the couples perform their third dance. There is also music from special guests Take That. Pamela and James receive their 2nd perfect judges score of 40 for their Quickstep, with Gavin and Katya bottom with 31 for their Viennese Waltz. Over the two nights that puts Kara and Artem top with 83 judges points out of 85, and Gavin and Katya bottom with 59.

In the Semi-Final results show there is a group dance from the Strictly Show Dancers, plus music from special guests Take That. There is also a song and dance from Bruce. There is a double-elimination, with Gavin and Katya, and Scott and Natalie leaving the competition just short of the Grand-Final.

In the first part of the Grand Final, the 3 remaining couples perform their highest scored dance of the season, namely a Samba (Matt and Aliona), a Rumba (Kara and Artem) and a Viennese Waltz (Pamela and James), together with a Showdance. The judges scores are for guidance only, from now on only the viewers votes will decide the winner.

At the start of the season finale, Pamela and James get voted off, having received the lowest public vote. The remaining 2 couples then perform both their favorite dance of the season, together will an all new dance that they've not done before. There is music from special guest Paloma Faith, to which the knocked out season's contestants take to the dance floor. Ultimately, Kara and Artem are emotionally crowned Champions 2010.

In the Christmas Special, 5 new one-off contestants compete for the Christmas Trophy: June Brown (with Vincent), John Barrowman (with Kristina), Vince Cable (with Erin), Fern Britton (with Matt), and Ronni Ancona (partnered with Anton Du Beke). John and Kristina find themselves at the top of the judges leader-board with 37 for their Quickstep, while June and Vincent, and Ronni and Anton find themselves joint bottom with 28 for their Tango and Viennese Waltz respectfully. There is music from special guests Only Men Aloud. John and Kristina are crowned Christmas ...