Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 2 hrs ago
Strictly’s TikTok strategy has not boosted its TV audience
Strictly Come Dancing brought TikTok creators into its latest series to attract younger viewers to the BBC dance show.
Social media stars John Nellis and Cach Mercer joined the cast, and their dances were posted on TikTok.
Views for their videos have mostly fallen, though a performance by Jamie Miller and Antonio Cipriano reached 3.3 million views.
The plan followed the US show Dancing With the Stars, which saw strong growth among viewers under 35 after making TikTok part of its programme.
The UK show’s TV audience has not grown, with viewing figures remaining broadly similar to last year as the programme’s longer-term ratings have declined.
An audience analyst said the creators attract engagement online, but their followers may not overlap much with people who watch Strictly.
The BBC says Strictly remains one of the UK’s most watched programmes, and no further change to its TikTok strategy is stated.
Strictly Come Dancing’s TikTok strategy has not translated into higher television viewing figures, according to the Daily Mail.
The BBC programme brought in TikTok personalities John Nellis and Cach Mercer in an effort to attract younger viewers.
After six weeks, their dance videos had fewer views than their first posts, although a performance by Jamie Miller and Antonio Cipriano reached 3.3 million views.
Strictly drew 5.1 million viewers on Saturday, October 17, and its launch show had 5.3 million viewers.
An audience analyst said the influencer strategy was drawing social media engagement but not improving viewing figures.
- Who
- Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC programme, and TikTok personalities John Nellis and Cach Mercer.
- What
- Strictly’s TikTok strategy has not boosted its television audience, according to the Daily Mail.
- When
- The article was published on October 30, 2026. The experiment had run for six weeks.
- Where
- The United Kingdom; the article discusses Strictly’s TikTok content and television audience.
- Why
- The article says the strategy aimed to attract younger viewers, but the followers of TikTok creators may not overlap enough with Strictly’s audience.
Strictly influencer strategy critics
BBC
TikTok’s effect on TV viewing
Strictly influencer strategy critics
Analyst Alex Bryson said the strategy attracts social media reaction but is not translating into positive viewing figures.
BBC
The BBC said Strictly has strong viewing figures and social engagement, and questioned the article’s emphasis on TikTok.
Strictly’s first live show drew 5.4 million viewers, 432,000 fewer than the 2024 tally, according to the article.
John Nellis’s dance video received 411,000 views, while Cach Mercer’s received 544,000.
Nellis’s latest video had 79,000 views and Mercer’s had 496,000.
Strictly was the most-watched show that Saturday, with 5.1 million viewers.
The Daily Mail published its report on the TikTok strategy and the programme’s audience.
- Nellis’s followers
- 2.6 million
- Mercer’s followers
- 1.3 million
- Jamie Miller and Antonio Cipriano performance
- 3.3 million views
- Strictly launch show
- 5.3 million viewers
- Strictly all-time ratings peak
- 13.2 million viewers for the 2020 finale, won by Bill Bailey
What people are saying
However, that's clearly not translating to positive viewing figures.
One hypothesis is that the communities who follow these creators simply do not overlap enough with the audiences who might watch Strictly.
We're confused by this article's emphasis on TikTok.
Strictly is one of the UK's most watched TV programmes, with the kind of viewing figures and social engagement that most shows dream of.