Nick & Luba’s American Smooth last week was the 2,500th ‘scored’ routine on Strictly (not including the ‘non-scored’ Showdance routines from Series 2-6 or the ‘a-thons’).

To celebrate this landmark, in this week’s blog we look at some previous milestone performances on the show.

Dance #500

• Couple: Tom Chambers & Camilla
• When: Series 6 (2008), Week 12
• Dance: Foxtrot, 39 (9,10,10,10)

Although Series 6 winner Tom is most remembered for his fantastic Showdance, that occurred at a time when the judges didn’t award scores to those routines. His highest score of the Series was actually for this Foxtrot, performed in the Quarter-Finals.

Dance #750

• Couple: Ann Widdecombe & Anton
• When: Series 8 (2010), Week 9
• Dance: Rumba, 14 (1,5,5,3)

Craig has awarded the dreaded score of ‘1’ to ten routines and is the only judge to date to have used this particularly harsh paddle. The most recent six of these were all to contestants who were dancing with Anton (Ann Widdecombe x 3, Nancy dell’Olio, and Susannah Constantine x2).

Dance #1000

• Couple: Nicky Byrne & Karen
• When: Series 10 (2012), Week 9
• Dance: Argentine Tango, 30 (7,8,7,8)

Although Karen has now performed more than one hundred routines with thirteen celebrity partners, this routine is the only occasion that she has danced the Argentine Tango.

Dance #1250

• Couple: Frankie Bridge & Kevin
• When: Series 12 (2014), Week 6
• Dance: Tango, 37 (9,9,9,10)

This Tango from Frankie & Kevin is one of the fifteen Halloween routines to have received at least one score of ‘10’ from the judging panel.

Dance #1500

• Couple: Claudia Fragapane & AJ
• When: Series 14 (2016), Week 4
• Dance: Foxtrot, 30 (6,8,8,8)

Claudia remains the second youngest contestant to compete on Strictly; older only than Louisa Lytton from Series 4. This Foxtrot was performed nine days before her 19th birthday.

Dance #1750

• Couple: Lauren Steadman & AJ
• When: Series 16 (2018), Week 2
• Dance: Charleston, 22 (5,6,5,6)

Lauren is one of two celebrities with a disability (along with Rose Ayling-Ellis) to reach the Semi-Final stage on Strictly. Will Chris and/or Tasha add to that tally this year?

Dance #2000

• Couple: Jacqui Smith & Anton
• When: Series 18 (2020), Week 1
• Dance: Foxtrot, 13 (3,5,5)

This was Anton’s (and Jacqui’s!) penultimate appearance on the Strictly dance floor. Anton performed the Foxtrot with thirteen of his eighteen partners; a dance style total only matched by the Quickstep and the Tango.

Dance #2250

• Couple: Ellie Simmonds & Nikita
• When: Series 20 (2022), Week 4
• Dance: Salsa, 30 (7,8,7,8)

Ellie scored a total of 113 points from her first four routines on the show, which is the highest total for any contestant with a disability (two points more than Rose scored).