Brief

Strictly Come Dancing to honour Dolly Parton and Madonna during icons week

The BBC‑style results show on Sunday will showcase dances inspired by Madonna’s career and a duet performance of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 02:58:26 GMT

Strictly Come Dancing’s results show on Sunday, 17 October, will pay tribute to music icons Dolly Parton and Madonna as part of the programme’s "icons" week, the Independent reports.

What happened

The Sunday results show will include a special routine inspired by the many eras of Madonna’s career. Country singer Belles, who recorded a duet with Parton earlier in the year, will perform her hit "Jolene" accompanied by professional dancers Amy Dowden and Kai Widdrington. The show will also feature a series of partner dances to songs ranging from Aretha Franklin’s "Respect" to David Bowie’s "Let’s Dance" and Shania Twain’s "That Don’t Impress Me Much".

What the reports add

The Independent lists the full line‑up: Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu will dance the cha‑cha to "Respect"; Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin will perform a rumba to Mariah Carey’s "Hero"; Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu will do a paso doble to David Bowie’s "Let’s Dance"; EastEnders star Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola will present an American smooth to Adele’s "Hometown Glory"; Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon will tango to Shania Twain’s "That Don’t Impress Me Much"; Olympian Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita will samba to Raye’s "Where Is My Husband!"; Love Island’s Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby will foxtrot to Frank Sinatra’s "Theme From New York, New York"; Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley will salsa to an ABBA medley; John Nellis and Katya Jones will paso doble to Bon Jovi’s "It’s My Life"; Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal will salsa to Ricky Martin’s "La Copa De La Vida"; Shaun Wright‑Phillips and Alexis Warr will perform a James Brown medley. The show will close with Big Brother presenter Will Best and Dianne Buswell jiving to Elton John’s "Crocodile Rock".

What was said

The article contains no direct quotations from participants or producers.

How it came about

Strictly’s icons week follows a series of recent tributes to Parton across television, including Julia Stiles’s Dolly Parton quickstep on Dancing With the Stars (Felo coverage) and Reba McEntire’s performance at the Emmys (Felo coverage). The programme’s decision to honour both Parton, who died of cancer in August at age 80, and Madonna reflects the show's tradition of celebrating enduring pop culture figures.

Key facts

Strictly Come Dancing’s results show on 17 October will feature tributes to Dolly Parton and Madonna as part of icons week. (independent.co.uk)
Country singer Belles will perform "Jolene" with Amy Dowden and Kai Widdrington. (independent.co.uk)
A special routine inspired by Madonna’s career will be presented during the show. (independent.co.uk)
The line‑up includes dances to songs by Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Adele, Shania Twain, Raye, Frank Sinatra, ABBA, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin and Elton John. (independent.co.uk)
Dolly Parton died of cancer in August at age 80. (independent.co.uk)