BBC moves 'Strictly' to earlier time slot

The BBC is moving 'Strictly Come Dancing' to an earlier time slot - but rejected claims it was running scared from 'The X Factor'.

The two shows have clashed for periods of more than an hour at times, leaving frustrated fans having to make a choice or hop between channels.

But on October 31, the overlap will be eased to 45 minutes, with 'Strictly' starting at 6.50pm and ending at 8.45pm, and ITV's 'The X Factor' getting under way at 8pm.

A spokesman for the BBC said the earlier slot had nothing to do with 'The X Factor' and the move was to make way for a new series starring impressionist Jon Culshaw.

He added that Strictly is a "key part of our Saturday line-up".

The overlap is expected to decrease naturally as more hopefuls are knocked out of the competitions, leading to shorter running times.

'The X Factor' hit a new high with its biggest ever audience on Sunday.

The show - the second of this year's live heats - drew a peak audience of 14.8 million, beating even last year's final.

Saturday's edition of 'The X Factor' drew an average audience of 10.9 million viewers, 1.6 million more than watched the equivalent episode last year.

On BBC1, 'Strictly Come Dancing' was watched by an average of 7.8 million viewers.