STRICTLY COME DANCING ANNOUNCES RELAY PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE FOR MUSICALS WEEK

This weekend's Strictly Come Dancing will give the couples an extra chance to dazzle viewers - in a very special relay performance. 

Opening Saturday night's Musicals Week special, the five-minute spectacular will see each pair take to the floor as part of a high-energy celebration of musicals, dancing to songs from shows including My Fair Lady, Oliver!, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins Returns. Expect the best of London's East End via the West End, plus a whole load of Strictly magic as our couples raise the roof for your votes. 

Backed with eight additional dancers, the couples will dance relay-style to the following songs: Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - Trip A Little Light Fantastic from Mary Poppins Returns; Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - With A Little Bit Of Luck from My Fair Lady; George Clarke and Alexis Warr - Consider Yourself from Oliver!; Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - Flash Bang Wallop from Half A Sixpence and Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - Me Ol' Bamboo from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The routine, choreographed by Matt Flint, will start and finish with all couples dancing together. Following the performance, Strictly will go live and each couple will dance their previously announced routine for the judges' marks. Viewers will then vote for the couples they want to see through to next weekend's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final.

The opening group relay number is a new addition for Strictly's Musicals Week, and follows last Saturday's Instant Dance challenge which received widespread praise from viewers. 

This weekend's Musicals Week specials will also see Strictly's Professional Dancers perform Cell Block Tango from Chicago, as well as exclusive performances from former Strictly contestant Tom Fletcher - alongside Paddington Bear himself - plus the cast of the Olivier Award-winning musical Titanique.

Strictly Comes Dancing continues Saturday at 6:50pm and Sunday at 7:45pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.