2020 - Series 18 facts and stats

• A high-scoring year, S18 is third on the podium for both average individual judge score and average total dance score, as only S14 and S20 have higher average scores
• Due to the Covid Pandemic lots of adjustments were made to the usual format: 9 weeks instead of 13, 12 celebrities instead of 15, 3 judges instead of 4 (Bruno was committed to Dancing with the Stars in the US) so scores were out of 30, and sadly no Halloween or Blackpool specials due to the contracted Series length
• S18 featured the first same-sex partnership in Strictly history as boxer Nicola Adams was paired with Katya Jones; unfortunately due to Katya contracting Covid after W3 the couple had to withdraw early from the competition. Since then, other same-sex partnerships have included John & Johannes in S19, Jayde & Karen and Richie & Giovanni in S20 and Layton & Nikita in S21
• Winner Bill Bailey becomes the oldest champion at 55 years old, though not the oldest contestant (Angela Rippon S21) nor the oldest Finalist (Pamela Stephenson S8)
• Oti becomes the second pro to lift the glitterball twice (after Aliona), and the only pro ever to win in back-to-back Series after her S17 triumph with Kelvin Fletcher
• HRVY & Janette receive the earliest perfect score in Strictly history in Week 6 for their Couple’s Choice routine to ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay; this will be matched by Rose & Giovanni in S19 with their Halloween Tango
• Jamie & Karen survive 4 dance-offs on their way to the Final; Jamelia & Tristan also survived 4 dance-offs in S13, but they had to endure a 5th in Week 9 at Blackpool which saw them eliminated
• After being eliminated first in W2 after a Samba danced with Jacqui Smith, Anton joins as a guest judge in Weeks 4 and 5 while Motsi is away; he awards 3 tens in 2 shows – to Clara & Aljaž, then to Jamie & Karen and Ranvir & Giovanni. This sets him up to return as a permanent judge in 2021 when Bruno stayed in the US for Dancing with the Stars