Overview
- Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed on air that Dani Dyer withdrew after fracturing her ankle in rehearsals, with Amber Davies stepping in to partner Nikita Kuzmin and performing a waltz at short notice.
- Judges' scores set the early leaderboard with Karen Carney and Carlos Gu leading on 31, Ross King and Jowita Przystal bottom on 10, and Davies and Kuzmin posting 27.
- There was no elimination in the opening week, with scores rolling over to combine with the first public vote in week two.
- Bookmakers quickly adjusted odds after the late replacement and first performances, with Davies entering as a strong contender in some markets.
- The live premiere opened with a pre-recorded 'through the decades' routine featuring judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.