After being beset by scandal all summer, this was a make-or-break series for Strictly Come Dancing. Happily for viewers, the show bounced back with a spring in its step and a smile on its spray-tanned face.
Not one but two male professionals departed under a cloud, following complaints of abusive behaviour from their celebrity partners. Inquiries were launched. Chaperones were introduced. The future of the BBC’s ballroom behemoth looked precarious. It needed a bumper series to dispel doubts. In its landmark 20th year, the flagship franchise duly delivered.
