Strictly Come Dancing (series 3)
Strictly Come Dancing returned for its third series on 15 October 2005 and ended on 17 December 2005. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to co-present the main show on BBC One, while Claudia Winkleman returned to present spin-off show . Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Arlene Phillips returned as judges. The winners were Darren Gough along with his dancing partner Lilia Kopylova.
Couples
In the third series there were 12 celebrity dancers, 6 men and 6 women. In order of elimination they were:| Celebrity | Occupation | Professional partner | Result |
| Siobhan Hayes | My Family actress | Matthew Cutler | Eliminated 1st on 15 October 2005 |
| Jaye Jacobs | Holby City actress | Andrew Cuerden | Eliminated 2nd on 22 October 2005 |
| Gloria Hunniford | Television & radio presenter | Darren Bennett | Eliminated 3rd on 29 October 2005 |
| Fiona Phillips | GMTV broadcaster | Brendan Cole | Eliminated 4th on 5 November 2005 |
| Dennis Taylor | Former snooker player | Izabela Hannah | Eliminated 5th on 12 November 2005 |
| Will Thorp | Casualty actor | Hanna Haarala | Eliminated 6th on 19 November 2005 |
| Bill Turnbull | BBC Breakfast presenter | Karen Hardy | Eliminated 7th on 26 November 2005 |
| Patsy Palmer | EastEnders actress | Anton du Beke | Eliminated 8th on 3 December 2005 |
| James Martin | Celebrity chef | Camilla Dallerup | Eliminated 9th on 10 December 2005 |
| Zoe Ball | Television & radio presenter | Ian Waite | on 17 December 2005 |
| Colin Jackson | Former Olympic hurdler | Erin Boag | on 17 December 2005 |
| Darren Gough | Cricketer | Lilia Kopylova | on 17 December 2005 |
Scoring chart
Average chart
This table only counts for dances scored on a traditional 40-point scale.| Rank by average | Place | Couple | Total | Number of dances | Average |
| 1 | 3 | Zoe & Ian | 454 | 13 | 34.9 |
| 2 | 2 | Colin & Erin | 438 | 13 | 33.7 |
| 3 | 1 | Darren & Lilia | 406 | 13 | 31.2 |
| 4 | 5 | Patsy & Anton | 249 | 9 | 27.7 |
| 5 | 4 | James & Camilla | 292 | 11 | 26.5 |
| 6 | 7 | Will & Hanna | 157 | 6 | 26.2 |
| 7 | 6 | Bill & Karen | 166 | 7 | 23.7 |
| 8 | 11 | Jaye & Andrew | 46 | 2 | 23.0 |
| 9 | 8 | Dennis & Izabela | 98 | 5 | 19.6 |
| 10 | 10 | Gloria & Darren | 58 | 3 | 19.3 |
| 11 | 12 | Siobhan & Matthew | 15 | 1 | 15.0 |
| 11 | 9 | Fiona & Brendan | 60 | 4 | 15.0 |
Highest and lowest scoring performances of the series
The highest and lowest performances in each dance according to the judges' scale are as follows.| Dance | Best dancer | Best score | Worst dancer | Worst score |
| American Smooth | Colin Jackson | 37 | James Martin | 28 |
| Cha-Cha-Cha | Zoe Ball Colin Jackson | 32 | Will Thorp | 18 |
| Foxtrot | Zoe Ball Darren Gough | 36 | Fiona Phillips | 20 |
| Jive | Darren Gough Colin Jackson | 30 | Fiona Phillips | 16 |
| Paso Doble | Darren Gough | 36 | Dennis Taylor | 15 |
| Quickstep | Colin Jackson | 39 | Dennis Taylor | 18 |
| Rumba | Colin Jackson | 36 | Fiona Phillips | 13 |
| Samba | Zoe Ball | 38 | James Martin | 20 |
| Tango | Zoe Ball | 38 | Bill Turnbull | 20 |
| Viennese Waltz | Zoe Ball | 36 | Will Thorp | 23 |
| Waltz | Colin Jackson | 37 | Fiona Phillips | 11 |
Patsy Palmer, Gloria Hunniford, Jaye Jacobs and Siobhan Hayes are the only celebrities not to land on this list.
Couples' highest and lowest scoring dances
Weekly scores and songs
Unless indicated otherwise, individual judges scores in the charts below are listed in this order from left to right: Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.Week 1
- Musical guest: Simply Red—"Perfect Love"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Darren & Lilia | 19 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Hot Stuff"—Donna Summer | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 19 | Waltz | "Fly Me to the Moon"—Dinah Washington | Safe |
| Colin & Erin | 32 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Save the Last Dance for Me"—Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Siobhan & Matthew | 15 | Waltz | "When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart"—Cliff Richard | Eliminated |
| James & Camilla | 22 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Something Got Me Started"—Simply Red | Safe |
| Gloria & Darren | 22 | Waltz | "Lady"—Kenny Rogers | Safe |
| Will & Hanna | 18 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Crazy Chick"—Charlotte Church | Bottom two |
| Jaye & Andrew | 25 | Waltz | "When I Need You"—Leo Sayer | Safe |
| Bill & Karen | 29 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Love Potion No. 9"—The Coasters | Safe |
| Fiona & Brendan | 11 | Waltz | "Sam"—Olivia Newton-John | Safe |
| Dennis & Izabela | 20 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Music"—Madonna | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 35 | Waltz | "Take It to the Limit"—Eagles | Safe |
Week 2
- Musical guest: Westlife—"You Raise Me Up"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| James & Camilla | 29 | Quickstep | "Luck Be A Lady"—Frank Sinatra | Safe |
| Jaye & Andrew | 21 | Rumba | "How Could an Angel Break My Heart"—Kenny G feat. Toni Braxton | Eliminated |
| Dennis & Izabela | 18 | Quickstep | "I'm So Excited"—The Pointer Sisters | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 26 | Rumba | "She"—Elvis Costello | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 30 | Quickstep | "Let Me Entertain You"—Robbie Williams | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 32 | Rumba | "One Moment in Time"—Whitney Houston | Safe |
| Will & Hanna | 29 | Quickstep | "You Can't Hurry Love"—Phil Collins | Safe |
| Gloria & Darren | 17 | Rumba | "Holding Back the Years"—Simply Red | Bottom two |
| Bill & Karen | 23 | Quickstep | "Do Your Thing"—Basement Jaxx | Safe |
| Fiona & Brendan | 13 | Rumba | "Almost Here"—Brian McFadden feat. Delta Goodrem | Safe |
| Colin & Erin | 36 | Quickstep | "Nice Work If You Can Get It"—Bing Crosby | Safe |
Week 3
- Musical guest: Michael Bublé—"Save the Last Dance for Me"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Zoe & Ian | 29 | Jive | "Part Time Lover"—Stevie Wonder | Safe |
| Bill & Karen | 20 | Tango | "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"—Doris Day | Safe |
| Dennis & Izabela | 22 | Jive | "Jailhouse Rock"—Elvis Presley | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 34 | Tango | "Una Musica Brutal"—Gotan Project | Safe |
| Will & Hanna | 25 | Jive | "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"—Shania Twain | Bottom two |
| Colin & Erin | 26 | Tango | "Ride It"—Geri Halliwell | Safe |
| Gloria & Darren | 19 | Jive | "Build Me Up Buttercup"—The Foundations | Eliminated |
| James & Camilla | 28 | Tango | "Mein Herr"—Liza Minnelli | Safe |
| Fiona & Brendan | 16 | Jive | "Hit the Road Jack"—Ray Charles | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 33 | Tango | "From Russia with Love"—Matt Monro | Safe |
Week 4
- Musical guest: Katie Melua—"Just Like Heaven"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Colin & Erin | 31 | Paso Doble | "Thriller"—Michael Jackson | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 36 | Foxtrot | "Isn't She Lovely"—Stevie Wonder | Safe |
| Dennis & Izabela | 15 | Paso Doble | "Eye of the Tiger"—Survivor | Bottom two |
| Will & Hanna | 34 | Foxtrot | "Dream a Little Dream of Me"—The Beautiful South | Safe |
| James & Camilla | 29 | Paso Doble | "Romeo and Juliet"—Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Safe |
| Fiona & Brendan | 20 | Foxtrot | "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"—Robbie Williams | Eliminated |
| Bill & Karen | 25 | Paso Doble | "Carnival de Paris"—Dario G | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 31 | Foxtrot | "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You"—Dean Martin | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 34 | Paso Doble | "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"—The Animals | Safe |
Week 5
- Musical guest: Beverley Knight & Jools Holland—"Where in the World"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Darren & Lilia | 28 | Viennese Waltz | "End of the Road"—Boys II Men | Safe |
| Dennis & Izabela | 23 | Samba | "La Bamba"—Los Lobos | Eliminated |
| Will & Hanna | 23 | Viennese Waltz | "Somebody to Love"—Queen | Bottom two |
| Colin & Erin | 32 | Samba | "Naughty Girl"—Beyoncé | Safe |
| Bill & Karen | 27 | Viennese Waltz | "Golden Brown"—The Stranglers | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 26 | Samba | "Going Back to My Roots"—Odyssey | Safe |
| James & Camilla | 29 | Viennese Waltz | "Mr. Bojangles"—Neil Diamond | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 35 | Samba | "Aquarius"—The Fifth Dimension | Safe |
Week 6
- Musical guest: Will Young—"Happiness"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| James & Camilla | 20 | Jive | "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"—Diana Ross | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 36 | Quickstep | "Almost Like Being in Love"—Nat King Cole | Safe |
| Bill & Karen | 17 | Rumba | "Ain't No Sunshine"—Bill Withers | Safe |
| Will & Hanna | 28 | Tango | "Pretty Woman"—Roy Orbison | Eliminated |
| Patsy & Anton | 31 | Quickstep | "Lover Come Back to Me"—Dinah Washington | Bottom two |
| Darren & Lilia | 30 | Jive | "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love"—The Blues Brothers | Safe |
| Colin & Erin | 32 | Foxtrot | "New York, New York"—Frank Sinatra | Safe |
Week 7
- Musical guest: Pussycat Dolls—"Sway"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Bill & Karen | 25 | Waltz | "What the World Needs Now Is Love"—Dionne Warwick | Eliminated |
| Patsy & Anton | 24 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "A Little Less Conversation"—JXL | Bottom two |
| Colin & Erin | 34 | Viennese Waltz | "Stop!"—Sam Brown | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 38 | Tango | "Tango Argentino"—Mario Battaini | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 34 | Foxtrot | "Big Spender"—Shirley Bassey | Safe |
| James & Camilla | 32 | Waltz | "Together Again"—Buck Owens | Safe |
Week 8: Quarter-final
- Musical guest: Cliff Richard—"Do You Wanna Dance"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Colin & Erin | 36 | Rumba | "You're Beautiful"—James Blunt | Safe |
| Colin & Erin | 37 | American Smooth | "Me and My Shadow"—Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis, Jr. | Safe |
| James & Camilla | 20 | Samba | "All Night Long"—Lionel Richie | Safe |
| James & Camilla | 28 | American Smooth | "Call Me Irresponsible"—Michael Bublé | Safe |
| Patsy & Anton | 27 | Jive | "Two Hearts"—Phil Collins | Eliminated |
| Patsy & Anton | 31 | American Smooth | "It Had to Be You"—Harry Connick, Jr. | Eliminated |
| Darren & Lilia | 30 | Rumba | "Beautiful"—Christina Aguilera | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 32 | American Smooth | "I Get the Sweetest Feeling"—Jackie Wilson | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 32 | Cha-Cha-Cha | "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"—Edwin Starr | Bottom two |
| Zoe & Ian | 36 | American Smooth | "Passing Strangers"—Sarah Vaughan | Bottom two |
Week 9: Semi-final
- Musical guest: Sugababes—"Ugly"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Darren & Lilia | 35 | Waltz | "Your Song"—Elton John | Safe |
| Darren & Lilia | 29 | Samba | "You to Me Are Everything"—The Real Thing | Safe |
| Zoe & Ian | 36 | Viennese Waltz | "Always and Forever"—Heatwave | Bottom two |
| Zoe & Ian | 33 | Paso Doble | "Manolita"—Tito Schipa | Bottom two |
| James & Camilla | 33 | Foxtrot | "Beyond the Sea"—Bobby Darin | Eliminated |
| James & Camilla | 22 | Rumba | "Home"—Michael Bublé | Eliminated |
| Colin & Erin | 37 | Waltz | "I Will Always Love You"—Whitney Houston | Safe |
| Colin & Erin | 30 | Jive | "Footloose"—Kenny Loggins | Safe |
Week 10: Final
- Musical guest: Bruce Forsyth—"Let's Face the Music and Dance"
| Couple | Score | Dance | Music | Result |
| Colin & Erin | 39 | Quickstep | "Nice Work If You Can Get It"—Bing Crosby | Runners-up |
| Colin & Erin | 36 | Rumba | "You're Beautiful"—James Blunt | Runners-up |
| Colin & Erin | N/A | Showdance | "You're Easy to Dance With"—Fred Astaire | Runners-up |
| Darren & Lilia | 36 | Foxtrot | "Big Spender"—Shirley Bassey | Winners |
| Darren & Lilia | 36 | Paso Doble | "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"—The Animals | Winners |
| Darren & Lilia | N/A | Showdance | "A Night to Remember"—Shalamar | Winners |
| Zoe & Ian | 38 | Tango | "Tango Argentino"—Mario Battaini | Third place |
| Zoe & Ian | 38 | Samba | "Aquarius"—The Fifth Dimension | Third place |
| Zoe & Ian | N/A | Showdance | "America"—from West Side Story | Third place |
Dance chart
- Week 1: Waltz or Cha-Cha-Cha
- Week 2: Quickstep or Rumba
- Week 3: Tango or Jive
- Week 4: Foxtrot or Paso Doble
- Week 5: Viennese Waltz or Samba
- Week 6: One unlearned dance
- Week 7: One unlearned dance
- Week 8: One unlearned dance and American Smooth
- Week 9: Two unlearned dances
- Week 10 : Favourite Ballroom, favourite Latin, and Showdance