How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2020 online from anywhere in the world

Stictly Come Dancing (Image credit: BBC)

The UK's long-running dance competition Strictly Come Dancing is returning for its 18th season this month and we have all the details on how you can watch it live online or on TV from anywhere in the world.

For those unfamiliar, Strictly Come Dancing is actually a continuation of the series Come Dancing and its name is actually an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom. The show has been on the air for almost 20 years and in that time, it's format has been exported to 60 other countries under the title Dancing with the Stars.

For season 18 of Strictly Come Dancing, the number of contestants has decreased slightly from 15 in season 17 to 12. These contestants which will each be paired with a professional dancer and together the couples will learn Ballroom, Latin American and Specialty dances such as the Foxtrot, Tango, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Argentine Tango, Charleston and others. They will then compete for 10 weeks for a chance to win the competition and take home the Glitterball Trophy.

While a number of changes have been made to the show due to the pandemic such as a shortened season, no studio audience and social distancing restrictions, Shirley Ballas will return as Head Judge and she will be joined by Craig Revel-Horwood and Bruno Tonioli who have judged the competition since it began back in 2004. Meanwhile, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be returning as Strictly Come Dancing's hosts for the new season.

As for the contestants, season 18 of Strictly Come Dancing has a star-filled cast which includes EastEnders' Maisie Smith, TV presenter JJ Chalmers, stand-up comedian and actor Bill Bailey, former Olympic Boxer Nicola Adams, former NFL star Jason Bell, The Wanted's Max George, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and others.

Whether you're a long-time fan of the show or have watched its international version Dancing with the Stars, we'll show you exactly how to watch Season 18 of Strictly Come Dancing from wherever you are in the world right now.

Strictly Come Dancing - When and where?

Season 18 of Strictly Come Dancing will premiere on BBC One on Saturday, October 24th at 7pm BST. The show will then run until December 19, 2020 which means that this year's competition will only last for 10 weeks as opposed to 13 weeks last season.

Watch Strictly Come Dancing online from anywhere

We have all the details on how you can watch Strictly Come Dancing in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia further down in this guide. However, if you want to watch season 18 of the show when you're away from home, then you'll likely run into problems as your domestic coverage online from abroad will be geo-blocked.

That's where one of the best VPNs (Virtual Private Network) can really come in handy. They allow you to virtually change the IP address of your laptop, tablet or mobile to one that's back in your home country which will let you watch as if you were back there.

VPNs are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of providing you with an additional layer of security when surfing the web. There are also a lot of options but we recommend ExpressVPN as our top pick due to its speed, security and ease of use. The service can even be used on a wide array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, game consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. You can even test it out for yourself thanks to the service's 30-day money back guarantee. Looking for more options?

Here are some other VPNs that are on sale right now.

How to watch Strictly Come Dancing in the UK for free

UK fans of Strictly Come Dancing will be able to watch the latest season of the show for free when it airs on BBC One on Saturday, October 24. You can also stream the show online using BBC iPlayer from your smartphone, smart TV or computer.

Live stream Strictly Come Dancing from the U.S., Canada and Australia

As Strictly Come Dancing has been on the air for almost two decades, the show has spawned numerous international versions including Dancing with the Stars in the US. However, if you want to watch the new season of the original version in the U.S., Canada and Australia, you'll need to grab a VPN and follow the steps we've detailed above.