The ratings war between the BBC’s flagship dance contest and Channel 4’s beloved baking show has taken a sharp turn, with Strictly Come Dancing facing a deepening audience crisis while The Great British Bake Off continues to flourish.
The latest figures reveal that Strictly Come Dancing pulled in 4.9 million viewers for its fifth episode in the 6.15pm–8.30pm slot. The slump follows a troubling start to the series, where just 4.8 million viewers tuned in for the first live show—a steep drop from the 6.2 million who watched the equivalent episode last year.
In stark contrast, The Great British Bake Off maintained its strong momentum, attracting 3.1 million viewers for its third episode. When catch-up streaming figures are factored in, a massive 7.19 million viewers have now watched the opening episode of the current Bake Off series.
While Bake Off is winning widespread acclaim with new judge Nigella Lawson joining forces with the popular trio of Noel Fielding, Alison Hammond, and Paul Hollywood every Tuesday, Strictly is facing an unprecedented backlash from its audience.
Disgruntled fans are taking to social media to voice their frustration, with criticism aimed directly at this year’s presenting dynamic. Viewers have questioned the choice of the current three-host setup over established fan favorites such as Rylan, Zoe Ball, Sara Cox, and Fleur East.
Many viewers feel there is one host too many on screen, complaining that dated jokes and awkward scripted links are causing them to cringe and change the channel. While fans do not doubt Emma Willis’s presenting talents, a growing number have expressed viewer fatigue given her high-profile roles across Love Is Blind, The Voice UK, and Cooking with the Stars. Meanwhile, the other two presenters have come under heavy fire for delivery that viewers describe as unnatural.
Die-hard fans are now calling on BBC bosses to drop the current presenter lineup entirely in a bid to restore the show’s credibility and halt the alarming slide in ratings.