Strictly Come Dancing odds – Top betting predictions and Strictly odds for 2023
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our TV screens on September 16th for a landmark 20th series. The show, which first aired in 2004, has become a staple of the British television calendar and, in recent years, incredibly popular with bettors.
The unpredictable nature of the show, with outsiders like Hamza Yassin and Bill Bailey taking the trophy in recent years, has caught the attention of punters, and this year’s show will provide more betting opportunities.
In this Strictly Come Dancing betting guide, we will look at the odds and the contestants and offer our early thoughts on the line-up.
🌟 Get £20 to place your Strictly bets at Ladbrokes! 🌟
🩰 Who are the Strictly celebrity contestants for this year?
- Bobby Brazier - 7/2 at bet365
- Angela Scanlon - 4/1 at Sky Bet
- Nigel Harman - 6/1 at Sky Bet
- Adam Thomas - 8/1 at Sky Bet
- Layton Williams - 5/1 at Betway
- Angela Rippon - 12/1 at bet365
- Nikia Kanda - 18/1 at BetUK
- Ellie Leach - 20/1 at BetUK
- Amanda Abbington - 25/1 at Sky Bet
- Eddie Kadi - 28/1 at Sky Bet
- Jody Cundy - 50/1 at BetUK
- Les Dennis - 100/1 at Betgoodwin
- Krishnan Guru-Murthy - 66/1 at BetUK
🔮 Our Strictly Come Dancing betting predictions for 2023
While we’ve not seen any contestants take to the dance floor yet, that hasn’t stopped us from weighing them up and getting in some early predictions.
1. Bobby Brazier to win at 7/2 with bet365
The bookies have already earmarked Bobby Brazier as the early front-runner for this year’s show, and it’s easy to see why. The EastEnders star has been a huge hit with audiences, and the British public has always had a soft spot for his family. Brazier is also a man in the ascendecy, having just won the Rising Star Award at the National Television Awards.
He will face stiff competition, though, with Angela Scanlon a close second in the betting odds. The Irish presenter has already been at the heart of a ‘cheating’ scandal, with many questioning whether someone with such a strong dancing background should be allowed on the show. Scanlon performed professionally with the Irish Dance Company, and there are plenty of questions about how much of a helping hand this gives her.
2. Nigel Harman to win W/O Brazier at 9/2 with Sky Bet
Every year, Strictly manages to produce a dark horse, and Nigel Harman could be this year’s candidate. The former Dennis Rickman has all the makings of a surprise Strictly star. He has performed in Mamma Mia and directed Shrek the Musical, so he definitely knows his way around a stage. While we wouldn’t suggest betting on him outright, Skybet does have a ‘W/O Brazier’ market, which allows you to bet on the winner if it isn’t Brazier, and Harman could be a good shout at 9/2.
3. Angela Scanlon top female at 6/4 with Sky Bet
Angela Scanlon’s dancing history means she is likely to hit the ground running in this year’s Strictly. While there is the potential for controversy if she is too good, she still looks like the strongest female candidate to win. Ellie Leach is second in this market at 6/1, and her status as a popular soap star could mean there is value in this. For now, though, we are backing Scanlon at 6/4 to be the top female finisher in the contest.
How to bet on Strictly Come Dancing
Betting on Strictly Come Dancing has never been easier. All you need to do is complete the following steps:
- Visit your preferred bookmaker. If you do not have a bookmaker yet, check out one of the ones we have recommended in this guide.
- If you are new to the bookie, don’t forget to take advantage of their welcome bonus.
- You will find the Strictly betting markets in either the Film/TV, Novelty, or Special section. Each bookmaker will categorise TV betting differently.
- Once you have found this, scroll through the options and choose the Strictly market you want to bet on.
- Make your selection and add it to your betting slip.
- Enter the stake, double-check all of the details, and hit confirm.
- Sit down in front of the telly, stick the kettle on, and enjoy a spot of Strictly.
📊 What are the biggest Strictly betting markets?
Strictly Come Dancing has become increasingly popular with bettors in recent years. The following markets are set to be the most popular for Strictly Come Dancing 2023 betting.
🏆 Winner
The most popular betting market for Strictly is the winner market. This is a bet on which celebrity you think will win the entire contest. These odds fluctuate as the show goes on, with the best opportunity to get a great price being before the show starts. Of course, this is also when the betting is most speculative.
❔ Winning gender
The gender of the winning dancer in Strictly is also a popular market to bet on. This one is fairly simple to understand and becomes a case of weighing up which contestants you think are the strongest. The odds on this will also fluctuate weekly, with them being close to evenly split at the start of the contest.
🕺💃Top male/female
Betting on the top male and female performers can be an excellent way of making the most of the Strictly Come Dancing markets. In some years, one gender is clearly stronger than the other, making the winner and winning gender markets almost pointless to bet. The individual gender markets can create an opportunity in this instance and can often offer some good value.
👋 Next elimination
Once the show kicks off, the next elimination market is extremely popular with bettors. This is a simple bet on which acts you think will be eliminated the following week. The British public loves an outsider or a quirky character, so this is often not just based on the dancer’s performances and can open up some good winning opportunities if you are good at analysing public opinion.
Which professional dancers will the celebrities be paired up with?
At the time of writing, Strictly Come Dancing has not confirmed which dancers and celebrities will be paired up. This information is typically reserved for the night of the first show, with a series of video packages revealing the pairings.
The show has confirmed that the following dancers will be involved: Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Giovanni Pernice, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, Vita Coppola and Johannes Radebe.
🕵️ What do we know about Strictly 2023 celebrity contestants?
The following celebrities have been confirmed as contestants for Strictly Come Dancing 2023.
🕺 Les Dennis
Les Dennis has one of the most varied CVs of anyone working in TV today. The former Family Fortunes host has taken part in just about any British show you can think of, making appearances in everything from Casualty to Birds of a Feather via Coronation Street and Crossroads.
He is also no stranger to reality TV, having appeared in Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Masterchef over the years.
💃 Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon will make history when she gets on the dancefloor, becoming the oldest-ever contestant on Strictly at 79 years old.
Rippon is a British TV icon, having presented the 9 O'Clock News, the Eurovision Song Contest, and much more during her illustrious reporting career. Her most relevant role though was as host of Come Dancing, the original ballroom contest held on the BBC in the 1980s that Strictly is a revival of.
💃 Amanda Abbington
Long-time BBC viewers will instantly recognise Amanda Abbington. Abbington has appeared in a plethora of BBC dramas and is perhaps best known for her performance as Watson’s wife in Sherlock. She has also appeared in the likes of Inside No 9, The Robinsons and Casualty.
🕺 Layton Williams
West End star Layton Williams hopes to dazzle the judges in this year’s Strictly. Williams has an extensive musical background, having performed the title roles in hit musicals Billy Elliott and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
🕺 Krishnan Guru-Murthy
One of the most recognisable faces in this year’s Strictly line-up is Channel 4 news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Guru-Murthy has been a part of the Channel 4 news team for over 25 years, and fans were stunned when he announced he would be swapping the newsroom for the dance floor.
🕺 Eddie Kadi
Stand-up comedian, actor, and radio presenter Eddie Kadi will be hoping that he can add dancing to his list of skills. Eddie revealed he would be appearing on the show live on the radio. His infectious personality will surely make him a hit with the audience.
💃 Angela Scanlon
Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon has already been installed as one of the favourites for this year’s competition. Scanlon is a regular reporter on The One Show and the host of Your Home Made Perfect. Her winning personality has already proven to be popular with audiences, and this, combined with her previous dancing experience, means she is definitely one to watch this year.
💃 Zara McDermott
Zara McDermott makes history as she becomes the first ever Love Island alumni to enter Strictly Come Dancing. Since leaving the Island, McDermott has found success as a presenter for the BBC, but she will put that to one side for a short while when she takes to the dance floor.
🕺 Adam Thomas
Another contestant who is no stranger to reality TV contests is former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas. Thomas appeared on I’m a Celebrity back in 2016, winning over audiences with a third-place finish.
💃 Nikita Kanda
BBC Asian Network radio presenter Nikita Kanda is one of the lesser-known faces competing in this year’s show, and the platform will no doubt give her a chance to make herself a household name. Kanda has described her excitement at being on the show, saying that she used to watch it growing up and that she can’t wait to meet the judges.
💃 Ellie Leach
Ellie Leach is best known for playing Faye Windass in Coronation Street. Leach left the cobbles behind in April this year, with her character serving a three-year stint in prison. She has said she wants to pursue other endeavours now she has left Corrie and Strictly will present a big opportunity for her to make a name for herself away from the character.
🕺 Jody Cundy CBE
The most decorated member of this year’s line-up, Jody Cundy, is a multiple-time World Champion with numerous Paralympic medals to his name. The cyclist will hope to wow the judges with his performance and end up on the show’s podium at the end of the season.
🕺 Bobby Brazier
Bobby Brazier has been installed as the pre-show favourite for this year’s Strictly, and it’s easy to see why. The son of Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody, Bobby was born to be a star, and he has proven that with his performance as Freddie Slater in EastEnders, recently winning an NTA Rising Star award.
🕺 Nigel Harman
Speaking of EastEnders, former Albert-Square hardman Nigel Harman will be swapping actor and the theatre for dancing for the next few months. Harman is best known for playing Dennis Rickman in EastEnders between 2003 and 2005 and for a starring role in Downton Abbey. Since then, he has worked in the theatre and as a meditation coach.
💃 Annabel Croft
Tennis legend Annabel Croft rounds out this year’s contestants for Strictly Come Dancing. Since hanging up her racket, Annabel Croft has been a regular on our screens, appearing on shows like Treasure Hunt and Celebrity Wrestling. She will hope her light-footed work on the courts translates to the ballroom.
Which pairs won Strictly Come Dancing in previous years?
The following pairs have won the last ten editions of Strictly Come Dancing:
- 2022 - Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal
- 2021 - Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice
- 2020 - Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse
- 2019 - Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse
- 2018 - Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
- 2017 - Joe McFadden and Katya Jones
- 2016 - Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton
- 2015 - Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani
- 2014 - Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev
- 2013 - Abbey Clancy and Aljaž Škorjanec
🥇 Which Strictly professional dancer has the most wins?
Amazingly, in the 19 series of Strictly Come Dancing that have taken place, only one professional dancer has won twice. Oti Mabuse is not only the only dancer to win twice but also the only one to win consecutive years. She won the 2019 edition with Kelvin Fletcher and would repeat the feat the following year with Bill Bailey.
Which UK bookie should I place my Strictly bets at?
Many UK bookmakers offer odds on Strictly Come Dancing, but in our experience, Sky Bet, bet365, and BetUK are the best.
Sky Bet always offer the best price boosts on the event, and you will find a good range of markets, including a few novelty and proposition ones as the final approaches.
Both BetUK and bet365 compete for the best odds on the show. bet365 arguably offer the best odds pre-show, but the live odds and betting options with BetUK are excellent.
📺 How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2023
- Location: Elstree Studios, Borehamwood
- Date and time: September 16th, 6:35 pm
- TV/Streaming: BBC One, BBC iPlayer
About the author
Liam Hoofe
Liam is an experienced iGaming and sports betting journalist based in Cardiff. He has worked in the sports betting industry since 2017 and has provided content for some of the biggest casino and betting brands in the UK. He has also covered football and other sports for both regional and national newspapers.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- Gamcare –
- Gamble Aware –
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to
