The Glitterball Trophy is ready and waiting for whichever couple will lift it tonight. That's right: W'eve made it to the Strictly Come Dancing Final. And that means there are just three couples left to compete in the legendary BBC One series, which audiences have thoroughly enjoyed over the past three months.
For close to 15 weeks, we have watched couples take to the dancefloor in the hopes of putting their best foot forward and producing some legendary routines. Through it all, we've seen a lot of shock eliminations (Lewis, Alex, Vicky), some withdrawals (Stefan Dennis, La Voix) and a Dance-Off record broken by EastEnders icon Balvinder Sopal, who fought her way all the way to the Semi-Final.
But as Amber and Nikita, Karen and Carlos, and George and Alexis all look to perform some of their best routines for the Grand Final (and Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman prepare to host their Final episode), here's when you can expect the dancing to begin.
Strictly Final start time (and how long the episode is)
The Grand Final of Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One on Saturday, December 20, at 7:00 p.m. GMT. That makes it the latest episode of the whole series' run, which might come as a surprise to viewers considering it's actually a lot longer than the show has been in recent weeks. But as there will be no results show, fans will be able to vote during the Final itself (with lines likely opening after each couple has danced once), making it must-see primetime viewing.
Speaking of primetime viewing, the Final of Strictly will run for two hours and 10 minutes, wrapping up at 9:10 p.m. GMT. Although there are only three couples remaining in the competition, they will each dance three times, necessitating a longer runtime. Moreover, there will be a group routine featuring almost all of the series' returning couples, as well as an opening routine that will spotlight the three Finalists. Five are also expected to perform.
Strictly's Final features Jives, Pasos, and more greatest hits
We mentioned that each of the couples will be dancing three times for your votes, and if you're a regular viewer of the show then you'll probably already know what those dances are. Just as we have seen throughout the years, they will dance two previous routines from earlier in the series - one being their favourite routine and the other being the judges' pick, which allows one judge to coach each respective couple on how to improve it in the Final. And then, there's the Showdance, which features no rules and allows each of the couples to dance as freely as they wish to.
For the Favourite Dance, Amber and Nikita have chosen their perfect 40-scoring Jive from Week 10, while Karen and Carlos have also chosen their Jive from all the way back in Week 1; George and Alexis have opted to redo their internet-breaking Paso Doble from Week 2. As for the Judges' Picks, Amber and Nikita have their Week 8 Paso Doble, Karen and Carlos will reprise their Week 6 Argentine Tango, and George and Alexis will bring back their Week 7 Viennese Waltz.
From Tina Turner and Lady Gaga to Peaky Blinders and The Killers, here are all of the Final songs and dances you can expect from tonight's Strictly:
Amber and Nikita:
- Judges' Pick: Paso Doble to "Dream On" by Aerosmith
- Showdance to "Rain On Me" by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
- Favourite Dance: Jive to "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner
George and Alexis:
- Judges' Pick: Viennese Waltz to "Somebody To Love" by Queen
- Showdance to "Human" by The Killers
- Favourite Dance: Paso Doble to "Game Of Survival" by Ruelle
Karen and Carlos
- Judges' Pick: Argentine Tango to "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- Showdance to "Inner Smile" by Texas
- Favourite Dance: Jive to "One Way Or Another" by Blondie
Well one thing is certain: One way or another, this game of survival known as the Strictly Final will have all of our contestants dreaming on about the possibility of being crowned Glitterball Champion, but only one will lift the trophy. We'll see ourselves out!