Strictly Come Dancing Explains Its Five Vote Online System

Viewers can influence which couples advance in the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing by casting up to five online votes during the live show on Saturday, October 10. The BBC voting system requires viewers to sign in to their BBC accounts, with votes determining which contestants remain in the competition ahead of Icons Week.

According to WalesOnline, the online ballot is expected to open at around 8:30 p.m. Viewers can access it through the BBC Strictly homepage or scan a QR code displayed during the broadcast.

Participants must register for a BBC account before voting if they have not used the online system previously. Once the ballot opens, the competing couples appear in alphabetical order, allowing viewers to select their preferred dancing pair.

Each viewer receives five votes and can allocate all five to one couple or distribute them among several contestants. Those who submit their votes in a single batch cannot vote again, while viewers who submit fewer votes initially can return to cast their remaining votes using the vote again button until it disappears.

The voting arrangements follow the first elimination of the series, which saw Chris Appleton and professional partner Amy Dowden leave after losing the dance-off against Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu during Movie Week.

Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood unanimously chose to save Jaime and Carlos, according to the source report.

Dowden, a Welsh favorite who also exited the competition first last year alongside Tom Skinner, expressed disappointment at leaving but highlighted the friendship she had developed with Appleton.

"Obviously I'm heartbroken, this seems to have been my luck the past few years. But you know what, my heart is only breaking because I don't get to dance with [Chris] on Monday, but I've got a friend for life and that's what's going to heal my broken heart," said Amy Dowden.

The previous week's Movie Week rankings combined each couple's movie-inspired routine score with its score from the preceding week. Australian singer Delta Goodrem and professional partner Kai Widdrington led the combined standings with 59 points.

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, alongside Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, shared second place with 55 points each. Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec finished at the bottom of the combined rankings with 30 points.

Those earlier totals will not carry forward into the latest live show, according to WalesOnline. The couples begin the next stage with a clean slate as they compete for a place in Icons Week.