Strictly Come Dancing series 10

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its tenth series and began with the launch show on 15 September 2012. The live shows began on 5 October. Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One and Claudia Winkleman returned to present the results show with Daly. Zoë Ball returned to present the spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli all returned and were joined on the judging panel by series 7 guest judge Darcey Bussell, who replaced Alesha Dixon.

On 20 June 2012, it was announced that Katya Virshilas would not return to the show as a professional. It was later announced that Karen Hauer of Burn the Floor fame would replace her.

The show was broadcast from Wembley Arena on 17 November with all proceeds going to the BBC charity, Children in Need. The show on 10 November was hosted by Daly and Winkleman, while Forsyth took a break before the Wembley Arena show.

Series 10 was the last series of the show to be produced at the studios of the BBC Television Centre in West London. In March 2013 the Television Centre site was closed for redevelopment, with the production of future series moved to Elstree Studios.

Olympic artistic gymnast Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace won the series on 22 December, while Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev and actress Denise van Outen and James Jordan were the runners-up.

Format
The couples dance each week in a live show. The judges score each performance out of ten. The couples are then ranked according to the judges' scores and given points according to their rank, with the lowest scored couple receiving one point, and the highest scored couple receiving the most points (the maximum number of points available depends on the number of couples remaining in the competition). The public are also invited to vote for their favourite couples, and the couples are ranked again according to the number of votes they receive, again receiving points; the couple with the fewest votes receiving one point, and the couple with the most votes receiving the most points.

The points for judges' score and public vote are then added together, and the two couples with the fewest points are placed in the bottom two. If two couples have equal points, the points from the public vote are given precedence. As with the previous series, the bottom two couples have to perform a dance-off on the results show. Based on that performance alone, each judge then votes on which couple should stay and which couple should leave, with Len Goodman, as head judge, having the last and deciding vote.

Couples
This series featured fourteen celebrity contestants.

Johnny Ball was originally partnered with Aliona Vilani; however, following an injury sustained in training before the first live show, Iveta Lukosiute was hired as a replacement partner. This was officially intended as a short-term measure until Vilani was able to return; however, it was later confirmed that Lukosiute would be Ball's full-time partner.

Scoring chart
The highest score each week is indicated in with a dagger (†), while the lowest score each week is indicated in  with a double-dagger (‡).

Color key: • {{legend|gold|Winners}}

• {{legend|silver|Runners-up}}

• {{legend|lightblue|Bottom two}}

• {{legend|#f4c7b8|Eliminated}}
 * Notes

Weekly scores
Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.

Week 1
Half of the couples performed on the first night and the other half performed on the second night. Couples performed either the cha-cha-cha or the waltz. There was no elimination this week; all scores and votes carried over to the following week. Couples are listed in the order they performed.


 * Night 1 (Friday)
 * Night 2 (Saturday)

Week 2
Musical guest: Scissor Sisters — "Let's Have a Kiki"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Richard & Erin
 * Bussell: Richard & Erin
 * Tonioli: Richard & Erin
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Richard & Erin

Week 3: Hollywood Week
Musical guest: Dionne Warwick — "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Michael & Natalie
 * Bussell: Michael & Natalie
 * Tonioli: Jerry & Anton
 * Goodman: Michael & Natalie

Week 4: Halloween Week
Musical guest: Paloma Faith — "Never Tear Us Apart"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Colin & Kristina
 * Bussell: Colin & Kristina
 * Tonioli: Colin & Kristina
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Sid & Ola

Week 5
Musical guests:
 * The Wanted — "I Found You"
 * Andrea Bocelli — "Nessun dorma"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Richard & Erin
 * Bussell: Richard & Erin
 * Tonioli: Richard & Erin
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Richard & Erin

Week 6
Musical guest: André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Kimberley & Pasha
 * Bussell: Kimberley & Pasha
 * Tonioli: Kimberley & Pasha
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Kimberley & Pasha

Week 7: Dance Through the Decades
Musical guests:
 * Kylie Minogue — "The Loco-Motion"
 * Girls Aloud — "Something New"

This week's show was broadcast live from Wembley Arena. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Nicky & Karen
 * Bussell: Nicky & Karen
 * Tonioli: Nicky & Karen
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Nicky & Karen

Week 8
Musical guest: The Script — "Hall of Fame" Dance guests: Flawless

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Michael & Natalie
 * Bussell: Michael & Natalie
 * Tonioli: Michael & Natalie
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Michael & Natalie

Week 9
Musical guests:
 * JLS — "Hold Me Down"
 * Alfie Boe — "Bridge over Troubled Water"

Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Nicky & Karen
 * Bussell: Nicky & Karen
 * Tonioli: Nicky & Karen
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Nicky & Karen

Week 10: Dance Fusion Week (Quarter-final)
Musical guest: Michael Bublé — "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"

Each couple performed one routine that demonstrated a fusion of two distinct dance styles. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Denise & James
 * Bussell: Denise & James
 * Tonioli: Denise & James
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Denise & James

Week 11: Semi-final
Musical guest: Katherine Jenkins — "Santa Baby"

Dance guests: Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas

Each couple performed two routines, and are listed in the order they performed.
 * Judges' votes to save
 * Horwood: Denise & James
 * Bussell: Denise & James
 * Tonioli: Denise & James
 * Goodman: Did not vote, but would have voted to save Denise & James

Week 12: Final
Musical guest: Robbie Williams — "Different"

During the first show, each couple performed two routines, one of which was their showdance routine and the other chosen by the judges. At the end of the first show, the couple was the lowest combined scores was eliminated. During the second show, each couple performed their favourite dance of the series. Couples are listed in the order they performed.

Dance chart
The couples performed the following each week:
 * Week 1: One unlearned dance (cha-cha-cha or waltz)
 * Weeks 2–9: One unlearned dance
 * Week 10: One fusion dance
 * Week 11: Two unlearned dances
 * Week 12 (Show 1): Judges' choice & showdance
 * Week 12 (Show 2): Favourite dance of the series

Ratings
Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.