Battered Strictly quicksteps off to an earlier TV slot

The BBC is moving Strictly Come Dancing to an earlier time slot — but rejected claims it was running scared from ITV1's The X Factor.

All change: Strictly Come Dancing, with hosts Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly, will be moving to a new slot

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

The dance programme will move to an earlier slot of 6.50pm and end at 8.45pm from Saturday 31 October, leaving only a 45-minute overlap with The X Factor, which starts at 8pm.

Strictly has been trounced in the ratings' war recently, with 7.8 million viewers against The X Factor's 10.9 million. The ITV1 show's coups include Robbie Williams's comeback appearance and a performance by Whitney Houston. It drew its biggest-ever audience on Sunday with a peak audience of 14.8 million as Cheryl Cole performed her debut solo single Fight For This Love.

The schedule change appears to be a defeat for the BBC after The X Factor boss Simon Cowell, 49, accused it of creating a "ratings battle".

However, a BBC spokesman said it was to make way for comedian Jon Culshaw's The New Impressions Show and denied it was "running scared" of The X Factor. The overlap between the rival shows will decrease in the run-up to Christmas as more contestants are voted off Strictly.