When is the Strictly launch show 2023? The confirmed start date of the BBC series

Strictly Come Dancing season is almost upon us and fans are asking when is the Strictly launch show 2023?

Weeks after is was revealed who is on Strictly Come Dancing 2023, news of this years' launch show has been confirmed and a fresh set of celebrities and their professional dancer partners will be rehearsing to give their opening night dances everything they've got.

Over the course of the series, which is expected to run up until Christmas, the dancing duos will be tackling various dance styles from the Cha-Cha-Cha, Latin and Ballroom to Salsa and Samba. But who is favourite to win Strictly 2023?

All will be hoping to impress the judges, and more importantly the audience at home, to be in with the chance of making it through to the final and lifting the prestigious Glitterball trophy. Strictly Come Dancing winners of 2022 were Hamza Yassin and his Strictly professional dance partner Jowita Przystal.

And with the return of Strictly's It Takes Two with a new presenter, we look at all you need to know about the launch show...

When is the Strictly launch show 2023? 

The Strictly launch show 2023 will air on Saturday September 16 on BBC One at 6.35pm when all couples competing for the Glitterball trophy will be revealed, according to the BBC. The show shared on its official Instagram page, "Ready to sparkle on Saturday 16th September, our Strictly class of 2023!"

And fans cannot wait for the series to start. One fan wrote, "Can't wait, I think the costumes this year are going to be incredible."

Another fan put, "Love strictly, watched it since I was a baby, the best show ever, the glitz, the glamour, the fun and of course the dancers and judges and host. Cast look amazing."

And a third added, "That’s all the family WhatsApp groups going great guns again. Yay!!!"

Who is hosting Strictly 2023?

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are hosting Strictly Come Dancing 2023. The presenting duo have hosted the show for a different number of years - Tess Daly, who is wife of Vernon Kay, has co-presented the show since 2004 when she hosted alongside Bruce Forsyth until his retirement in 2013. Then Claudia Winkleman joined Tess as co-host in 2014 and the pair have fronted the series ever since. Claudia also hosts BBC show Traitors.

When does Strictly Come Dancing 2023 podcast return?

The Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast by BBC Studios returns for a new series on 16 September. It is any fan's perfect accompaniment to the dance programme bringing more stories, secrets and behind-the-scenes interviews.

Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Joe Sugg and Strictly superfan and producer Kim Winston are back on hosting duties bringing with them their extensive knowledge of the show.

After each Sunday night results show airs on BBC One, fans can download the latest episode of the podcast on BBC Sounds where our hosts will reflect on that week’s results and take listeners backstage for news, interviews, games, laughter and tears. They’ll be speaking exclusively to the contestants, professional dancers, judges and the backstage crew who bring the party on the dancefloor to screens.

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