Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman make their first appearance on Strictly Come Dancing since announcing they'll be leaving at the end of this series
"Thank you for your beautiful messages," the hosts say to the audience as the show begins
Lewis and Katya kicked off today with a Quickstep that impressed the judges - they bagged a score of 34, the highest of the night
Here's the leaderboard for you
La Voix, who managed a mere 14 points last week, sees the score doubled to 28 with Cher's Strong Enough
Ellie Goldstein has had quite the surprise - a personal message from her favourite Spice Girl, Emma Bunton, who says Ellie is her top pick
As part of Icons Week, the judges are dressing up as, well, icons - here's who they're attempting to channel
What is your reaction to the Strictly presenters stepping down? Where does the show go now? And - the big question! - who should be the new presenters?
You can share your comments with us in the following ways:
So, just in case you don't know, Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced they’re waltzing off the show.
“We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time,” the pair wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.”
The BBC said their final appearance will be on this year’s Christmas special, airing 25 December.
Daly has been at the helm since the first series 21 years ago, while Winkleman joined in 2014, having fronted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two since 2004.
“We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other,” said the duo.
“Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Claudia and Tess announce they're leaving Strictly Come Dancing
Tinshui Yeung
Live page editor
Welcome back to the live desk in London for Strictly Come Dancing.
Tonight’s show promises to be anything but routine, with the spotlight likely to shine just as brightly on the hosts as on the stars themselves.
This, of course, comes hot on the heels of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announcing earlier this week that they’ll be hanging up their microphones at the end of the series.
It’s their first appearance on the dance floor since dropping that bombshell, so expect a few words - and perhaps a few tears - from the hosts, the stars, and the judges.
But wait, there’s more drama: Stefan Dennis has had to bow out of the competition after picking up an injury. And as if that wasn’t enough, tonight is the special Icons Week - so there’s plenty to keep your eyes on.
The show kicks off at 18:25 BST. In the meantime, let’s catch up with everything that’s been happening in this whirlwind week for Strictly Come Dancing.
