Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eighteenth series with a launch show on 17 October 2020 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 24 October.^[1] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series launched a month later than usual and ran for only nine weeks instead of the usual thirteen.^[2][3][4] Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.^[5] Clark-Neal was replaced by Gethin Jones for four shows after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.

On 12 September, it was announced that for the first time since the tenth series, there would be no live show broadcast from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom due to the pandemic.^[6] However, it was announced shortly afterwards that there would be four episodes highlighting the best moments from previous series.^[7] The final episode featured a tribute to 2014 winner Caroline Flack, who had died on 15 February that year.^[8]

Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse returned to the judging panel.^[9] On 21 August 2020, it was announced that Bruno Tonioli could not be part of the judging panel for this series due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and his role on Dancing with the Stars. Tonioli instead appeared virtually to give his critiques on the performances during the Sunday night results show. Motsi Mabuse had to miss weeks 4 and 5 in accordance with British government guidelines after travelling to Germany due to a break-in at her dance academy;^[10][11] she was replaced by Anton Du Beke.^[12][13]

Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse were announced as the winners on 19 December,^[14] while HRVY and Janette Manrara, Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer, and Maisie Smith and Gorka Márquez were the runners-up.

The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.

The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Shirley Ballas, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.

On 6 March 2020, Kevin Clifton announced he was leaving the show after seven years.^[15] Despite being confirmed in the 2020 professional line-up, on 26 March 2020, AJ Pritchard announced he was leaving the show after four years.^[16] The other professional dancers from 2019 were all confirmed to be returning for the series.^[17] Neil Jones and Nadiya Bychkova only featured in group dances after having partners the previous year, alongside Graziano Di Prima and Nancy Xu.^[18][19]

Due to the pandemic, several changes had to be made in how the professional dancers performed. Firstly, the dancers had to shield at home for two weeks. They then formed a bubble which allowed them to stay in a hotel , where they could practise their routines. All of the group dances were pre-recorded.^[20]

This series featured twelve celebrity contestants. On 1 September 2020, the first three celebrities announced were Caroline Quentin, Jason Bell, and Max George.^[21] On 2 September 2020, it was announced that Olympic boxer Nicola Adams would be part of the first same-sex partnership.^[22] On 3 September 2020, Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing was confirmed to be participating in the series after having to withdraw from the seventeenth series due to a foot injury.^[23] Celebrity reveals continued throughout the week until the full line-up was revealed on 4 September 2020.^[24] On 12 November 2020, it was announced that Katya Jones had tested positive for COVID-19, which meant that she had to withdraw from the competition due to the government's guidelines on self-isolation.^[25]

The highest score each week is indicated in bold green with a dagger (†), while the lowest score each week is indicated in italicized red with a double-dagger (‡).

Color key:

Notes

Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges' scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse.

The couples performed the following each week:

• Weeks 1–7: One unlearned dance
• Week 8 (Semifinal): Two unlearned dances
• Week 9 (Final): Judges' choice, showdance & favourite dance of the series

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.^[54]