iPlayer is adding a Strictly Come Dancing new spin-off, and the timing is tight: Strictly: Lights Up starts on Sunday 4 October, immediately after the results show. Abi Clarke and Tyler West will host the new Sunday-night strand, giving the series a post-results slot that sits right alongside the main competition.
Every Sunday night, viewers will get the show exclusively on iPlayer, with reactions from the eliminated couple, their dance off opponents, the judges, hosts, other Strictly stars and studio guests. That is the clearest sign yet that the digital side of Strictly is now being built as a separate audience business, not just an add-on.
Abi Clarke and Tyler West
Abi Clarke will also front the weekly training room episodes, visiting different Strictly couples in rehearsals. Tyler West joins her on Strictly: Lights Up, which means the new format is not just one extra programme but a recurring post-show package built around immediate access.
Sarah James said: "With Strictly's iPlayer audience growing year-on-year, this is the perfect time to announce a range of new exclusives that will bring viewers closer to Strictly than ever before." She added: "Hosted by the brilliant Abi and Tyler, Lights Up will be a post-results show like no other - taking you straight on to the Strictly dancefloor for all of the immediate reaction that previously remained unseen."
iPlayer extras
iPlayer will also launch a dedicated Strictly hub with new exclusives, a weekly highlights show, every dance available individually, and the first chance for each episode to be scrolled through in chapters. That is the practical change for viewers: one place to catch the main show, the spin-off, shorter clips and episode navigation without waiting for a catch-up edit.
The move also lands against a crowded digital backdrop. Strictly viewing on iPlayer has increased every year since 2022, and last year's series drew more than one billion video views across social media. is still adding more after the results show, which suggests the next battle is not for awareness but for attention after transmission ends.
Sunday 4 October
Strictly returned with its launch show on Saturday 19 September, goes live on iPlayer and One on Saturday 26 September, and then expands again on Sunday 4 October when the first celebrity couple of the series is due to go out. The only open point is how many episodes Strictly: Lights Up will run for this series, but the launch pattern makes one thing plain: iPlayer is treating Strictly as a weekly digital franchise, not just a Saturday-night broadcast.
