Come Dancing

Come Dancing is a British ballroom dancing competition show made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which aired on BBC One at various intervals from 1950 to 1998. Unlike its subsequent follow-up show, Strictly Come Dancing, contestants were neither celebrities nor professionals. The show was created by Eric Morley, the founder of Miss World, in 1949, and began by broadcasting from regional ballroom studios owned by Mecca, with professional dancers Syd Perkin and Edna Duffield on hand to offer teaching. Its original format was based on a knock-out process of teams from various regions around the UK, such as East Anglia or the South West. In 1953, the format changed to become a competition, with dancers representing the home nations (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales), with later series seeing regions of the United Kingdom going head to head for its coveted trophy.