Lewis and Katya claimed victory in Strictly Come Dancing’s inaugural Instant Dance challenge tonight, becoming the first couple to triumph in the brand-new format.
The historic competition pushed all six remaining couples to their limits in a high-pressure test of spontaneity, speed and skill.
The revolutionary challenge arrived in week ten of the 2025 series, following last weekend’s Blackpool spectacular where no elimination occurred due to La Voix’s injury withdrawal.
With standards exceptionally high this year, the Instant Dance offered contestants a crucial chance to earn additional points.
Lewis and Katya won the new dance challenge
|BBC
The format required celebrities to perform dances they had already learned, but with almost no preparation time and completely improvised choreography, creating moments of live television chaos.
Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman oversaw proceedings as each couple randomly selected a dance style from their previous routines.
Once they discovered their assigned dance, contestants heard their accompanying music before sprinting to wardrobe for a frantic costume grab.
Most dramatically, couples were given just ten seconds on a countdown clock to plan their choreography and performance approach.
Amber Davis and dance partner Nikita Kuzmin
| BBCThe strict time pressure turned Strictly’s typically polished routines into something utterly unpredictable.
After all performances, judges ranked the couples from best to worst, awarding six points to the strongest routine down to one point for the least successful, marks that proved vital in such a tightly contested series.
The challenge produced wonderfully chaotic television as celebrities scrambled for outfits and attempted to choreograph recognisable routines in seconds.
Viewers watched stars racing through the wardrobe department in what one fan called “completely mad” costume choices.
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Viewers had a glimpse behind the scenes during tonight's main episode
|BBC
The panic and confusion delighted audiences, many of whom took to social media to share their amusement.
“This instant dance is chaos haha loved it,” one viewer wrote, while another simply declared it “pure chaos.”
One fan noted that the hooter sound “takes me right back to being a kid watching Noel’s House Party.”
The overwhelmingly positive reaction dominated social media, with many viewers enjoying the preparation as much as the performances themselves.
“Actually really enjoying this ‘instant dance’ section and they’ve not even danced yet,” one fan posted.
Another wrote: “Can we do this every week please, and the final be nothing but Instant Dance!”
Many suggested the challenge had injected much-needed freshness into the long-running format: “Enjoying #StrictlyComeDancing and the delightful craziness of the Instant Dance,” one viewer said.
Head Judge Shirley Ballas emphasised the significance of the new feature ahead of tonight’s broadcast.
Lewis and Katya are once again at the top of the leaderboard
|BBC
“Instant Dance has the power to change everything for our couples, and will challenge them in ways they have never been challenged before,” she said.
“With standards so incredibly high this year and the competition so close, there’s a lot resting on it.”
Ms Ballas acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the task but expressed confidence in its entertainment value: “The dance styles, costumes and music might not be revealed until the night, but what we can be sure of is that it’s going to be a whole lot of fun. I cannot wait!”
The success of the Instant Dance challenge, and Lewis and Katya’s historic win, has reinforced why Strictly still feels fresh after two decades, with fans calling the new format one of the most exciting innovations the show has introduced in years.
"I'm obsessed, I am screaming watching this!" an excited fan posted on X.