Strictly Come Dancing returned for its second series on 23 October 2004 on BBC One. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One, while Claudia Winkleman presented a new spin-off show called Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Series 1 winner Natasha Kaplinsky filled in for Daly during the first five weeks due to Daly's maternity leave. Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned to the judging panel.

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Actress Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett were announced as the winners on 11 December 2004, while Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis and Ian Waite finished in second place, and comedian Julian Clary and Erin Boag finished in third.

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.

This series featured ten celebrity contestants.

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 are given (in parentheses) in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.

The couples performed the following each week:

• Week 1: One unlearned dance (cha-cha-cha or waltz)
• Week 2: One unlearned dance (quickstep or rumba)
• Week 3: One unlearned dance (jive or tango)
• Week 4: One unlearned dance (foxtrot or paso doble)
• Week 5: Samba
• Week 6 (Quarterfinal): Two unlearned dances
• Week 7 (Semifinal): Two unlearned dances
• Week 8 (Final): Favourite ballroom dance, favourite Latin dance & showdance

Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.^[1]