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The new series of Strictly Come Dancing has officially kicked off, as this year's 15 brand new celebrities will be taking to the dancefloor for a chance to win the coveted Glitterball Trophy. The crop of stars includes a retired rugby player, a YouTuber, a Doctor Who actress, a former star on The Apprentice, a Geordie Shore icon, and a Love Island winner. On Saturday, the hotly anticipated launch show saw the professional dancers being partnered up with their celebs. There was also a special performance from singer Jessie J, and last year's winners Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell dazzled audiences with one of their routines from the 2024 season.

The viewing figures from the pre-recorded episode have now been officially revealed, and it has been reported that show ratings for the 2025 launch matched 2024.

According to MailOnline, the episode peaked at 5.6 million viewers and averaged 5.4 million across 90 minutes. However, the 2024 figures were far lower than the 2023 series, where Strictly lost almost one million viewers during its launch episode.

However, it should be noted that the overnight figure does not include on-demand viewing from BBC iPlayer, where millions of fans are known to watch the programme.

One show highlight during the launch was seeing contestant Thomas Skinner take to the dancefloor for the first time. It was revealed that he was partnered up with Welsh dancer Amy Dowden.

Only a few days ago, the businessman made headlines with a candid confession about cheating on his wife. On top of this, Thomas also left a few journalists hanging when he exited a recent press conference early.

Despite his new apparent bond with Amy, fans expressed their dismay over the pairing, especially as Amy has only recently returned following numerous health setbacks.

One person commented on social media: "You look amazing Amy. Great to see you back. So sorry you got the short straw with him though."

However, one person disagreed and argued: "Amy Dowden kicked cancer's *ss. She can manage Thomas Skinner for the 3 weeks it will take for the public to get bored of him."