 Strictly Come Dancing has been a ratings winner on BBC One |
Broadcasters in Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and Poland have signed up for local versions of the popular BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. The format has already attracted large audiences in Australia and Italy under the title Dancing with the Stars.
"The reaction from broadcasters and audiences around the world has been phenomenal," said Colin Jarvis, BBC Worldwide's director of programmes.
The format is expected to generate �20 million in income over five years.
The Australian version launched in 2004 and drew audiences of up to 2.1 million. The second series recently began on the country's Channel 7 station.
In Italy, Ballando con le Stelle transmits live every Saturday and attracts an audience share of 30 per cent.
The New Zealand, Polish and Danish versions of the show will make their debut this spring, with the Belgian version following this autumn.
Mr Jarvis said it proved "yet again the strength of the in-house format development team within BBC Entertainment".
The department has enjoyed similar success with the quiz shows Dog Eat Dog and The Weakest Link.
A disco version of the show, Strictly Dance Fever, will be shown on BBC One later this year.
Graham Norton will host the programme, which will offer members of the public the chance to compete for a �50,000 prize.
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