Why isn't Strictly on this Saturday – and when will the semi-finals be broadcast?

It's getting hard to keep up.

By Shivani Dubey

10 Dec 2022

Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed its semi-final date and time in yet another schedule change.

Due to the ongoing FIFA World Cup, a lot of the regularly scheduled BBC and ITV programmes are getting shuffled around to make room for the live telecast of the football matches. Strictly happens to be one of them.

Instead of its usual Saturday night slot, the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final will air live on Sunday, December 11, at 7.15pm and the results show will air the following day on Monday, December 12 at 8.15pm, immediately after EastEnders.

Both of them are, however, scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One as usual and streamed on BBC iPlayer.

craig revel horwood, motsi mabuse, shirley ballas, anton du beke, strictly come dancing 2022

BBC

When the schedules were being finalised, it was unknown which broadcaster would get the rights to which quarter-final matches in the World Cup, with ITV now confirmed to be airing England's quarter-final match against France in Saturday night primetime.

Speaking about the schedule changes, the BBC had said earlier in a statement: "Strictly Come Dancing will continue to bring glitter, glamour and glorious dancing to homes across the nation throughout the 2022 FIFA World Cup."

Kym Marsh became the tenth celebrity to depart from the show in the quarter-finals, after a dance-off with Molly Rainford.

kym marsh, graziano di prima, strictly come dancing

Guy LevyBBC

Only judge Anton Du Beke chose to save Kym and her dance partner Graziano Di Prima in the dance-off, with his colleagues voting to save Molly and her dance partner Carlos Gu.

Speaking about her journey on the show, Kym said: "Honestly I've loved every single second that I've been here. I never thought I'd get to this stage, in a million years.

"I have to say, it's all down to this man [Graziano] here, he is just wonderful and he will be my friend forever."

For one week only, Strictly Come Dancing airs on Sunday (December 11) at 7.15pm on BBC One, with a results show on Monday (December 12) at 8.15pm. Spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows also stream on BBC iPlayer.

Interested in talking about Strictly Come Dancing? Visit our dedicated sub-forum