Strictly Come Dancing Winners: Full List by Season

Twenty-two years in, Strictly Come Dancing still manages to throw up a surprise winner every autumn. Whether it’s a comedian defying the odds at 55 or a soap actress waltzing off with the Glitterball, the show has never lost its talent for spectacle. Here’s every winner ranked by season, complete with their pro partners and the records that still stand.

Total Seasons: 22 · Latest Winner: Chris McCausland (Season 22) · First Winner: Natasha Kaplinsky (Season 1) · Key Source: Radio Times (Entertainment Guide)

What was the order of winners in Strictly?

Strictly Come Dancing has crowned a celebrity winner in every season since 2004, with the show evolving from an 8-couple, 8-week format to the 15-couple, 13-week production viewers know today. The winners span across TV presenters, actors, comedians, and reality stars, each paired with a professional dancer who guides them through weekly performances.

Early seasons (1-10)

Natasha Kaplinsky won the inaugural season in 2004, partnering with Brendan Cole. The second season went to Jill Halfpenny with Darren Bennett, while Darren Gough took Season 3 in 2005 alongside Lilia Kopylova—a pairing that proved successful despite Gough never topping the weekly leaderboard, as noted by Radio Times. By the mid-era, Harry Judd won Season 9 in 2011 with Aliona Vilani, establishing the show’s appeal to music figures alongside TV personalities.

Mid seasons (11-15)

Season 12 brought a landmark moment: Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev became the first couple to receive 40 points for all three final dances, a record that still stands according to Hello Rayo Heat. The mid-seasons also saw winners from diverse backgrounds, including Olympic athletes and soap opera stars, demonstrating the show’s broad casting appeal.

Recent seasons (16-22)

The most recent era has delivered some of the show’s most memorable winners. Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton won Season 16 in 2018, beating the fan favorite Joe Sugg, and the pair later became a couple after their victory. Kelvin Fletcher, who entered as a replacement for Jamie Laing, took Season 17 with Oti Mabuse. Bill Bailey then became the oldest winner at 55 in Season 18, with Radio Times noting his achievement as historic.

Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice won Season 19 in 2021, with their victory particularly notable given that Jodie Odudu had to withdraw before the final due to injury. Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał took Season 20 in 2022—a season held amid the coronavirus pandemic but completed successfully. Ellie Leach scored the first 40 of Season 21 in the final, winning with Vito Coppola, with the season running from 23 September to 16 December 2023.

Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell won Season 22 in 2024, with the finale airing on 14 December 2024. As Donaheys confirms, their victory was widely celebrated as McCausland became the first blind contestant to win the competition.

Who has won Strictly Come Dancing the most times?

Among professional dancers, the record for most wins belongs to Oti Mabuse, who achieved consecutive victories in Seasons 17 and 18—making her the only pro to win back-to-back series, as documented by Radio Times. Her wins came with Kelvin Fletcher in 2020 and Bill Bailey in 2020 (Season 18), cementing her status as one of the show’s most successful professionals.

Several other pros have multiple wins but not consecutively. The show’s format means professional dancers rotate partners annually, making sustained success dependent on both chemistry with celebrity partners and competitive lineup against other couples. Lilia Kopylova, Darren Bennett, and Flavia Cacace are among those with multiple championship partnerships across the show’s history.

Who is the most successful dancer on Strictly?

Looking at the most successful professional dancers on Strictly, the conversation typically centers on those with the highest win counts and longest tenures. Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova stand out as the gold standard, having won multiple times and maintaining the show’s highest standards throughout their careers. Their partnership style and technical excellence became benchmarks for subsequent professionals joining the show.

Oti Mabuse’s two consecutive wins represent the pinnacle of individual achievement, though her success was concentrated in a shorter window. In contrast, Bennett and Kopylova demonstrated sustained excellence across multiple seasons with different celebrity partners, adapting their coaching approach to each pairing. The Wikipedia overview notes the show’s format allows these partnerships to flourish, with professional expertise being a key factor in celebrity success.

Strictly Come Dancing winners season 22

Season 22 concluded on 14 December 2024, with Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell claiming the Glitterball trophy. McCausland, known for his comedy and television work, made history as the first blind contestant to compete on and win the show. His partnership with Dianne Buswell resonated with viewers, and their victory was seen as a milestone for representation in dance competition television.

Chris McCausland details

Chris McCausland joined Season 22 as a comedian and presenter, bringing his irreverent humor to the dance floor each week. Working with Australian professional Dianne Buswell, the couple navigated the unique challenge of teaching choreography to a blind partner—a challenge Buswell discussed in interviews, describing how they developed communication techniques specific to their pairing.

Strictly winners last 10 years

The last decade of Strictly winners reflects the show’s expanding reach and changing demographics. From Season 13 through Season 22, winners have included reality TV personalities, soap actors, sports figures, and entertainers from across British media.

Seasons 13-22 overview

Season 13 (2015) saw Jay McGuiness from The Wanted take the win with Aliona Vilani. The following years brought Alesha Dixon back for a second victory in Season 15, while Joe Sugg narrowly lost to Stacey Dooley in Season 16. Kelvin Fletcher’s surprise win in Season 17 was particularly noted given he entered as a replacement contestant.

The pandemic years saw the show continue successfully: Bill Bailey won Season 18 in 2020 at age 55, making him the oldest winner in show history. Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice claimed Season 19 in 2021, with Rose also making history as the first deaf winner of a major British dance competition. Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał won Season 20 in 2022, followed by Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola in Season 21 and Chris McCausland with Dianne Buswell in Season 22.

Timeline

Twenty-two seasons span twenty years, with most airing annually from late September to mid-December. The timeline below shows key winning moments from the show’s history.

The pattern shows how the show’s autumn finale has become a television ritual, with December dates consistently drawing the highest viewership.

What we know versus what’s still unclear

The confirmed facts about Strictly winners come from multiple entertainment publications and community wikis, with Radio Times serving as a primary reference for the show’s documented history. Verified data includes premiere dates, finale dates, winner names, and pro partners across all completed seasons.

The implication: readers should cross-reference multiple sources when researching pre-2010 seasons, where documentation is sparser.

What people are saying

Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell quickly Waltzed their way into the hearts of the Great British public.

— Radio Times entertainment coverage

At 55 years old, he also became the oldest winner in Strictly history.

— Radio Times celebrity coverage

Caroline Flack and partner Pasha Kovalev became the first and still are the only Strictly couple to receive 40 points for all three dances in the final.

— Hello Rayo Heat entertainment guide

Bottom line

Strictly Come Dancing has built a consistent track record of memorable winners over 22 seasons, with each year bringing fresh faces and surprising outcomes. The show’s format ensures no single formula dictates success—celebrity backgrounds range from Olympic athletes to reality stars, and professional partners rotate annually. For UK viewers, the autumn ritual of following the competition remains a television constant, even as the specific winners change year to year.