After 22 series, let's rank the Strictly winners from worst to best

The beloved BBC dance competition has been a huge hit since Strictly Come Dancing first launched onto our screens back in 2004. Over the years, the long-running show has welcomed a series of changes both to the cast and the format. After 23 series, powerhouse presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they will be stepping back from the reality show after 21 years at the helm.

To date, 22 celebs have lifted the infamous Glitterball trophy, from series one winner Natasha Kaplinsky to our latest winner Chris McCausland. With 2026 set to be a year of change for the ballroom competition, let's take a look back over the past winners and see how they rank in our show round-up.

The retired English cricketer impressed the nation when he showed that he could move light on his feet, but his routines still left a lot to be desired. He was clumsy and graceless in comparison to the other Strictly winners on the list. Furthermore, the other 21 winners managed to beat his highest score of 36 points, with only one not making it to 39 points out of 40.

Chis filled every performance with character and fun, but that isn't enough to bump him further up the list of winners. He received the lowest average score from the judges out of all the winners to date. Even though the contestant with the highest average score doesn't always make them the best winner, in this case, the trophy should have gone to a more deserving contestant.

The Holby City star gave it his all on the BBC ballroom, and they featured great skill overall. But many of his routines came across as dull and didn't stand out as anything special in comparison to his fellow BBC winners.

This one is somewhat controversial. The former Olympic athlete showed off his impressive gymnastic skills on the dance floor, but it pulled the focus away from the ballroom dancing and onto his impressive strength and flexibility. Despite being very entertaining to watch, the other finalists deserved a stronger shot at taking home the trophy than the gold-medal winner.

Despite the fact that she never scored higher than 37 during her time on the show, she was Strictly's first champion and quite a worthy one. It's fair to say she never quite loosened up on the dancefloor the way her fellow winners had, but there was never any doubt that she deserved to walk away with the trophy. She stormed to victory over runner-up Christopher Parker, whose routines were largely overmarked, with his highest score only reaching a measly 28.

Jill made history as the first contestant to receive a perfect score with her dance partner, Darren Bennett. The dynamic duo had palpable chemistry, and their routines continued to light up the dancefloor every weekend. But in the years that have passed, her successors have certainly pushed the boat out with their groundbreaking routines, which have pushed her down the list of winners.

Although she was enjoyable to watch as her blossoming romance underpinned her future relationship with Kevin Clifton, many of her routines left something to be desired in terms of skill. She was a brilliant amateur contestant but failed to go out with a bang in her final few routines.

The stage and screen actor made every one of his routines feel like a West End performance, and they were loved by millions of viewers every week. But his win was called into question after his runner-up, Alexandra Burke, who scored three perfect scores during her time on the series, was arguably much more deserving. Meanwhile, Joe only walked away with one perfect score and surpassed his average by a staggering 2.7 points.

Jay's success on the dancefloor doubled Aliona's wins on the beloved ballroom floor. Although the pair never quite received a perfect score, The Wanted star never failed to deliver

The second boyband member to make it to the Strictly winners list is Harry Judd. His surprising moves sometimes came across as quite predictable, but he managed to hone his craft impressively well, making him a great underdog for the nation to get behind.

Abbey Clancy surprised viewers with her innate rhythm and graceful ballroom dancing. She brought a sense of radiance to the ballroom but as the years have gone on, other Strictly winners have brought more excitement to the ballroom.

The Coronation Street beauty was the true underdog of the series, winning the public over with her charming personality and can-do spirit on the dancefloor. But the soap star hasn't climbed higher up the leaderboard due to the fact that she pipped Layton Williams to the finish line in the live final.

This batsman blew the judges away with his impressive moves on the dancefloor, and not even a microphone mishap could stop him from scooping up the Glitterball trophy. He embraced all the glitz and the glamour that come with Strictly and brought out his cheeky side in the ballroom.

Oti Mabuse scooped up her first Glitterball trophy with this Emmerdale hunk, who proved he is amazing on both stage and screen. The pair came extremely close to setting a new high average among the Strictly champs. The soap hunk set the ballroom on fire every time he took to the dancefloor, with the pair improving week on week, storming to victory.

Two years after setting a still-standing highest average winner's score, Dixon landed a position on the Strictly judging panel. And it's no surprise that she was offered the coveted role after she stormed to victory back in 2007. Though she never received a perfect 40 on the dance show, she demonstrated ballroom mastery as well as an infectious level of respect for the art form.

The late Love Island host still stands as one of the best Strictly winners in the show's history. It appeared as though dancing came second nature to the blonde bombshell, who improved week on week, before eventually earning full marks before the live final.

Her perfect Viennese Waltz is still marvelled by fans today which helped her soar to the top 10 in this Strictly winners list. She also dazzled the judges with two stunning tangos and is the second of two winners to have never scored below 30 on the long-running show.

Another controversial winner has made it into the top five of this winner's list, and that's Ore Oduba. Fans still debate over whether the BBC presenter was the right winner after pipping Danny Mac to the finish line. The two heavyweights drove up rating by pushing each other to be better each week. But despite his best efforts, Oduba quickly stormed to success with his unique dance style and beautiful characterisation.

The nature documentarian brought a piece of Sudan to the Strictly Ballroom as he dazzled viewers with his showstopping dance moves. The dynamic duo beat all the odds and stormed to the final, wowing fans with their impressive dance moves and complex lifts.

The beloved comedian proved that age really is just a number after he scooped up the glitterball trophy with Oti Mabuse during lockdown. The 55-year-old TV star is the oldest-ever mirror ball recipient, but his showstopping routines to Queen's The Show Must Go On, and The Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight still stand as some of the greatest in the show's history.

Chris McCausland is our latest Strictly winner, storming to success with his dance partner Dianne Buswell last year. He broke the mould with his incredible dance moves and blew the competition out of the water despite being blind. He also scooped up a BAFTA with the Aussie beauty for their eye-watering performance, where the comic performed part of their routine on his own without her guidance.

The EastEnders favourite made a beautiful couple on the BBC dance competition, and their breathtaking Couple's Choice routine is arguably one of the most memorable routines in the show's history. The dynamic duo didn't just take home the Glitterball trophy but also a BAFTA for their performance, paving the way for more disabled contestants to compete on the show.