Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed the return date for hit spin-off series It Takes Two - and it's just days away for excited fans.
The return date for the spin-off series of Strictly Come Dancing, It Takes Two, has been announced.
For the 20th series, X Factor star Fleur, who took over the presenting role while Janette took time away to welcome her first child, is joining forces with the former professional dancer to host the spin-off show.
Returning on Monday, September 23rd, Fleur and Janette will take a deep dive into the dancing competition which promises to be extra special with unforgettable performances.
As Strictly Come Dancing AND It Takes Two return for the 20th year, once again bringing joy and sparkle to homes across the nation, Fleur and Janette will take a deep dive into what magic ingredients go into making the nation’s favourite dance show.
This series of Strictly promises to be extra special with even more glitz, razzmatazz and unforgettable performances and It Takes Two will be right there at the forefront!
Strictly It Takes Two is a BBC Daytime Commission. The commissioning Editor is Alex McLeod, the Executive Producer for BBC Studios is Eve Winstanley and the Series Editors are Sonal Patel and Judith Hay.
Audiences can watch Strictly It Takes Two every weekday at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
It Takes Two Hosts: What They Said
Talking about returning for It Takes Two, especially as the show celebrates its 20th year, former professional dancer and now presenter Janette, 40, said: “Oh my gosh, 20 years of Strictly Come Dancing and 20 years of It Takes Two, two shows that make people smile throughout the most exciting time of the year.
“I am absolutely privileged to host It Takes Two alongside Fleur. She's such an amazing partner to do this with. And, I mean, Strictly Come Dancing is the best TV show on telly.
“As a dancer myself, knowing the level of appreciation it gets from the audience and fans is so humbling. So for me to be back on It Takes Two, talking about dancing and the couples and their experiences, is incredible. I’m so happy.”
Talking about the next 20 years for the show, Janette said: “I’m really hoping we get 20 more years of the same! For me, being part of the show for, I think, 11 years now, it’s been the most magical 11 years of my life.
“To keep celebrating dancing, to keep seeing people’s faces light up when they learn a new step or get a routine right, or meeting a fan of the show on the street who say, 'Oh my god, I loved that dance' or 'I loved that moment when such-and-such happened,' it’s so special.”
Meanwhile, Fleur, 36, said: “Very, very exciting to be part of such a huge franchise. It's my second year on It Takes Two. I was welcomed in the most amazing way last year, so I feel a little bit more at home this time. Yeah, I'm excited to do it all again!”
Talking about what will make It Takes Two extra special this year, she added: “More mayhem, more digging into all the information, as much as we can get to you before the Saturday night shows. We love it as fans of the show as well, so we'll try to get you as much backstage action as we can.”
Behind-the-Scenes Insights
What Does It Takes Two Bring to the Table?
Janette shared her thoughts on It Takes Two, calling it “the best behind-the-scenes you can get of Strictly.” She elaborated, saying, “You get the real truth of everything from everyone. If you want to know what’s really going on? Watch It Takes Two.”
The Magic of Dancing
Janette reflected on how her life has changed over the past two decades. She said, “Oh gosh, now you’ve given away my age! 20 years ago, I didn’t even know if I was going to be a dancer. Back then, I was working in a bank, studying finance in Miami, and I had a very different idea of how my life was going to turn out. So 20 years have been 20 years of magic, leading me to this.”
She attributed her decision to pursue dancing to a “sliding doors moment” after auditioning for the show “So You Think You Can Dance.” She said, “I had that kind of sliding doors moment where I could either move to Los Angeles and just keep trying to see what happens, or go back to my secure job at the bank. So I moved to LA, lived there for a bit, and ended up getting a job with Burn the Floor, which is where everything else spiralled from. If I hadn’t taken the chance after So You Think and moved to LA, I probably wouldn’t be here. One decision changed everything.”
The Presenters' Similarities
When asked about any differences in their presenting styles, Janette explained, “Do you know what’s the crazy thing about me and Fleur? We are so, so, so alike. And the more we hang out and spend time together, the more we start finding things that make us similar. So really, I feel like we’re just a piece of each other - literally the same. Whether you’ve got Fleur or me, you’re going to get the same kind of show because... I don’t know, we’re really similar. I mean, we’re both as silly and stupid as each other. We’re both very driven, we both love what we do, and we both love Strictly.”
The Importance of Listening
When asked about the best advice she’s ever received, Janette emphasized the importance of listening. She said, “To listen. I think sometimes we get caught up in our thoughts, or caught up in a theory, or caught up in a feeling or an emotion. And then, even when people are explaining themselves, trying to get you to understand something, we just don’t listen - or we don’t listen to ourselves. We don’t really listen to what our body and our minds are telling us. So listening is crucial.”
Fleur East's Thoughts on It Takes Two
Fleur, on her part, said, “Very, very exciting to be part of such a huge franchise. It's my second year on It Takes Two. I was welcomed in the most amazing way last year, so I feel a little bit more at home this time. Yeah, I'm excited to do it all again!”
Fleur also shared that she loves filming the silly trails they do together. She said, “I love filming all of our silly, jokey trails that we do together. The Shining was a highlight for me for Halloween Week - I loved that. And yeah, just messing about on set. The team just has so much fun, so it's always a good time.”
She added, “We try to keep it cool, try and calm it down but we’re both Scorpios with a lot of energy, and we love to laugh so when we’re together that’s what happens.”
Fleur's most memorable experience from last year involved a superstition she has with her late father's ring. She said, “Yes, I guess it has become a superstition, I’ve got a ring that my sister and I made from my dad's ring after he passed away in 2020. Everytime I have to go out and do anything, I have to hold my ring and I say, “Let’s go, Daddio,” and it makes me feel like I can do what I need to do.”
What Does It Takes Two Mean to Fleur?
She described It Takes Two in one word: “Wholesome.” She added, “Because it's the place where people connect to the celebs and their partners in a way that they can't watching the main show. You get more reactions, and especially on Mondays after whoever has left the show, you get to see how much it meant to them.”
It Takes Two: A Recap
Strictly Come Dancing returned on Saturday night where fans finally discovered the celebrities' pro partners. However, viewers were surprised to see pro dancer Kai Widdrington wasn't paired with a celebrity this year.
Strictly's It Takes Two returns at 6.30pm on Monday 23rd September on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Watch Strictly It Takes Two weekdays at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday 23 September.
Strictly It Takes Two is back with a glittery bang to give Strictly Come Dancing fans the inside scoop on all things backstage in the Ballroom.
It is the best behind-the-scenes you can get of Strictly.
The show has been running for 20 years and promises to be extra special this year.
We will be bringing you all the behind the scenes sparkle and action!
