The Greatest Dancer is a new show from the brain of Simon Cowell - his first time working with the BBC.

It stars singer Cheryl Tweedy , Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Oti Mabuse, and actor, singer-songwriter and dancer Matthew Morrison acting as advisors and commentators to a selection of dancers who are auditioning.

The audience will decide which hopefuls have what it takes to earn the £50,000 prize, with every type of dance covered by groups, duos and individuals from seven years old, to 70.

The show has already served up some helpings of sass in its hosts and judges as seen in the first episode when fans joked Cheryl was on the show looking for her new husband and Strictly professional Oti Mabuse was a hit with viewers .

Viewers will continue to get the chance to see what the contestants have to offer as the show is on for a total of eight weeks.

Here's what we know about The Greatest Dancer...

When is the show on TV?

Oti Mabuse

The Greatest Dancer started on Saturday 5 January at 8pm on BBC1 - perfect for filling the Strictly Come Dancing shaped hole in dance fans lives. It will continue to air every Saturday night for a total of eight weeks.

Who are the judges?

There aren't actually any judges - they are known as 'dance captains' because it's the audience who vote for the hopefuls. However the captains, giving their expert opinion are:

Cheryl Tweedy - singer, dancer and former X Factor judge and mentor joins the BBC for the first time.

Oti Mabuse - Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer

Matthew Morrison - Star of Glee with a background in musical theatre

Who are the hosts?


Alesha Dixon


Jordan Banjo

Britain's Got Talent singer and singer / dancer Alesha Dixon and Diversity’s Jordan Banjo are also on the show, presenting the dances before the judges take over and responsible for general hosting duties.

On the show, Alesha said: "I can't wait to be a part of The Greatest Dancer and work with Jordan. As a massive fan of dance I'm so excited about the prospect of finding amazing new dance talent."

Jordan added: "Coming from a talent show myself with Diversity has shown me how much a show like this can change your life, so to be on the other side hosting is going to be an awesome experience."

What's the show's format?


Matthew Morrison

It works similarly to other panel shows we love, like Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, so the groups will go through various rounds before they are crowned at the end of the competition, but like most of our favourite talent contests, there will likely be some surprise twists and turns.

Contestants audition at the NEC in Birmingham, which is set up as a small studio in front of two producers. The audience and judges sit behind a mirror in the studio. If the audience like the performance, the mirror opens and they make it through to the Callback stages.

Each mentor then chooses three hopefuls to put through to the final.

The winner will get the chance to perform on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing as a special guest, sadly not earning a spot as the new Oti and wins a £50,000 cash prize.

The Greatest Dancer airs Saturday evenings on BBC One at 8pm.