Overview

Come Dancing was a BBC TV ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off from 1949 to 1998, becoming one of television's longest-running shows. The show was created by Eric Morley, the founder of Miss World, and began in 1949 by broadcasting from regional ballroom studios, with professional dancers Syd Perkin and Edna Duffield on hand to offer teaching. In 1953 the format changed to become a competition, with later series seeing regions of the United Kingdom going head to head for the coveted trophy. The many presenters over the years included Peter West, McDonald Hobley, Charles Nove, Terry Wogan, Brian Johnston, Angela Rippon, Michael Aspel, Noel Edmonds, David Jacobs, Judith Chalmers, Pete Murray, and Rosemarie Ford. Commentators included Ray Moore and Bruce Hammal. In 2004, a re-launched celebrity version entitled Strictly Come Dancing, hosted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly, debuted on BBC One, and became a popular hit on Saturday evenings. The format of the newer show has been successfully exported to other countries under the name Dancing with the Stars.