How to watch Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2023 online from anywhere

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special Cast
(Image credit: BBC)

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

The 2023 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special will go out on BBC One on Christmas Day, which means you can also watch online at any time on the BBC iPlayer for FREE. Away from the UK over Christmas? Use a VPN to watch Strictly Come Dancing from anywhere.

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Date: Monday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
Time: 4.40pm GMT / 11.40am ET / 8.40am PT / 3.40am AEDT (Tue)
TV channel: BBC One
FREE stream: iPlayer (UK)
Use ExpressVPN to unblock BBC iPlayer when abroad

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2023 preview

Like roast turkey, opening presents and dad napping in the corner after lunch, the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special has become an indelible fixture of December 25. And this year's festive episode puts half a dozen new famous faces (and feet!) onto the dancefloor to see who will lift the glitterballstar trophy.

Looking to jive, salsa and cha-cha-cha their way to become the 2023 Strictly Christmas Champion are six celebs hoping to follow in the quickstepping footsteps of Harry Judd, John Barrowman, Jill Halfpenny and last year's champion Alexandra Mardell.

The early favorite has to be Sugababes founding member Keisha Buchanan, with her two decades' experience of performing on stage. Although rugby player Danny Cipriani wouldn't be the first sportsman to win (see Darren Gouch, Colin Jackson and Louis Smith), and Eastenders actor Jamie Borthwick would become the fifth soap star to be crowned Christmas champion.

Popular historian Dan Snow has been presenting history shows on British screens for over 20 years – but the son of legendary news anchor Peter Snow is known more for his research than his rumba. Co-host of BBC Breakfast Sally Nugent and children's TV actress Tillie Amartey make up this year's shimmying sextet.

In addition to the competition dances, expect the usual array of jaw-dropping group dances, a musical performance from Sam Ryder and, with any luck, a few 10s on judges' Christmas tree-shaped scoring panels.

Ready to step into Christmas? Read on to discover how to watch the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2023 for free and from wherever you are.


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How to watch Strictly Come Dancing online for FREE

Christmas Day at 4.40pm GMTBBC One

The seasonal Strictly Come Dancing special will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 4.40pm GMT on BBC One.

For those wanting to watch Strictly online, the festive episode will be available to watch live and on-demand on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. It’s FREE to stream on web browsers, smartphones, and apps for a variety of streaming devices, though you should be in possession of a valid UK TV licence.

Away from the UK right now? Just use a VPN to alter your IP address so you can stream your favorite TV shows and films online just like you would at home.

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing online from anywhere

If you are overseas this Christmas period, you’ll be unable to watch Strictly Come Dancing like you normally would at home due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream online, no matter where you are in the world. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. And ExpressVPN is the no. 1-rated provider you can get right now.

Use a VPN to watch Strictly Come Dancing from anywhere:

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How to use a VPN to watch Strictly Come Dancing

You can watch from anywhere in three simple steps:

1. Download and install a VPN - we recommend ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the relevant server location - launch the VPN app, click on 'choose location' and select the right location i.e. UK for BBC iPlayer

3. Head to the chosen broadcaster's live stream - in this case, head to the BBC iPlayer website or app to watch Strictly


Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2023 contestants

  • Tillie Amartey (actress)
  • Jamie Borthwick (actor)
  • Keisha Buchanan (singer)
  • Danny Cipriani (rugby player)
  • Sally Nugent (TV presenter)
  • Dan Snow (TV historian)

Who are the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2023 couples?

  • Tillie Amartey & Neil Jones
  • Jamie Borthwick & Nancy Xu
  • Keisha Buchanan & Gorka Márquez
  • Danny Cipriani & Jowita Przystał
  • Sally Nugent & Graziano Di Prima
  • Dan Snow & Nadiya Bychkova

When was the Christmas Strictly Special filmed?

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter), the 2023 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special was filmed on Tuesday, December 5 at Elstree Studio in London.

Adam Marshall

Adam was formerly the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles TechRadar produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam has now dusted off his keyboard to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide.