By Christian Abbott
Copyright birminghammail
Strictly Come Dancing is just a few short days away, but this season is bringing with it a major change to how voting works. The BBC competition’s offer of premium-rate phone voting is now coming to an end. Similar to the European Song Contest, voting will now take place online, with the BBC calling premium-rate phone voting ” an outdated system and also expensive to run”. Read more: BBC Strictly Come Dancing full line-up confirmed from Doctor Who star to Olympic icon As a result, this year’s show will largely be down to a ‘personality’ contest amongst the contestants, according to Slingo. It’s been predicted that the stars with a larger online presence will likely be the top contenders. Those who are ‘talented dancers’ won’t be as favoured within the competition – with Dani Dyer and George Clarke both holding the strongest social reach of this year’s line-up. A Slingo spokesperson said: “The BBC’s decision to move voting for this year’s Strictly will likely cause a major shake-up in who we see excel on the show, with many talented dancers potentially being sent packing early. We could well see personality taking precedence over technical talent. “Pete Wicks from last year’s series was the perfect example. His likeability with the public helped him sail through the competition, surviving eliminations right up until the final. Yet if it had been down to the judges’ scores alone, he wouldn’t have lasted half as long. “That could spell trouble for current frontrunners Lewis Cope and Ellie Goldstein. On paper, both have the dance and performance background to make them strong contenders. But this year’s winner is more than likely to reflect the voice of Gen Z and younger, tech-savvy viewers – an audience not traditionally at the heart of Strictly. With Lewis and Ellie holding only a fraction of the social media following of some of their rivals, they may well start slipping down the odds in the weeks ahead. “By contrast, those with a strong online presence could thrive – particularly Dani Dyer. With millions of followers across generations, alongside her previous dance experience, she already looks a formidable prospect. Priced at 9/2, Dani could well surge in the betting markets and edge past Lewis and Ellie to become one of the frontrunners for the glitterball trophy. “The change could also play into the hands of social media star George Clarke. Normally, he might be seen as an outsider, coming from a different digital world to the average Strictly viewer. But this new voting dynamic could turn him into the competition’s dark horse. “George’s entire career has been built on the strength of his online community, and that following shouldn’t be underestimated. Influencers crossing into mainstream entertainment is nothing new – Joe Sugg and Saffron Barker both boosted their careers on Strictly, while GK Barry more recently became a household name after finishing fourth on I’m A Celebrity. “With hundreds of thousands of followers of his own, plus close ties to other influencers with equally huge audiences, George has the potential to mobilise a vast voting base. That reach could carry him deep into the competition, even if his dancing doesn’t quite measure up. At 7/1, George currently only has around a 12% probability of winning the show. While he may not be the favourite yet, it’s easy to imagine him battling Dani for the top spot before long!” Strictly Come Dancing 2025 will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on September 20th.
