BBC Strictly Come Dancing viewers spot 2024 change - and don't love it

Strictly Come Dancing fans were not happy with the show this evening after they noticed a big change to the format as the show began

Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts have voiced their concerns over changes to the show's format in 2024. Long-time fans noticed a deviation from the usual start of the latest episode just minutes into this week's show, expressing their dissatisfaction.

Traditionally, each episode kicks off with a professional dance routine, followed by the introduction of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as the Strictly theme tune is played by the live band.

However, in a surprising twist, the professional dance was omitted entirely. Instead, Claudia and Tess were already on stage, welcoming the judges who performed a brief 30-second disco dance before taking their seats at the panel.

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One viewer took to Twitter to express their confusion: "Is #Strictly live tonight? Bit of an odd start with Tess and Claude on stage straight away? ".

Another fan questioned: "No Tess and Claude intro and then the dancer introduction has a song? ! What's going on? ".

A third viewer noted: "So they've cut Tess and Claudia's intro too," adding: "They need to be careful - cutting these little things risks taking a little bit of the polish off #strictly."

"We saw that happen with [Dancing On Ice] leaving the show feeling less refined. It's not like the running time has been cut either."

While another disgruntled fan asked: "Why are Claudia and Tess just *there*? Why did they not get an intro? Why was there no pro dance to start? I'm not happy about any of this."

The second week began with another glitch, as professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova experienced a wardrobe mishap during the first routine.