Strictly Come Dancing: Your ultimate guide to the 2026 series
Strictly is back!
Believe it or not it's now been a massive 22 years since popular BBC show Strictly Come Dancing first hit our screens, with the series keeping fans entertained every year in the run-up to Christmas.
After Karen Carney and Carlos Gu were crowned the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing champions, the show has now undergone a major shake-up. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe are serving as the new hosts following the exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and five new professional dancers have joined the show!
Now we know this year's pairings, here's all of the goss you need to know about Strictly Come Dancing as it returns to our screens.
When is Strictly back on TV?
The pre-recorded launch aired on TV at 7.25pm on Saturday 19th September, with live weekly episodes beginning on Saturday 26th September.
Who are the new Strictly hosts?
The lovely Tess Daly MBE and Claudia Winkleman MBE returned for the 2025 series, but in October 2025 the pair released a joint statement to confirm it would be their last series as hosts.
After months of rumours as to who could be the new hosts, including Holly Willoughby and Fleur East, it was finally announced on Tuesday 19th May 2026 that Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe, would take over as hosts for 2026.
Which celebs are taking part?
Announcing earlier than usual, BBC bosses revealed on 10th June that EastEnders actress Lacey Turner would be taking part in Strictly this year!
Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, and Chris Appleton have also been announced, with Love Island's Cach Mercer being revealed on 9th July. Hits Radio Breakfast host Will Best was then announced on Tuesday 14th July, with Paralympic athlete Dame Sarah Storey joining the line-up on Friday 17th July.
Actress Jamie Winstone was the eighth name to be confirmed on Thursday 22nd July, with House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia joining the line-up on Tuesday 28th July. On Thursday 30th July, bosses then announced former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips for the show, and Graeme Hall joined the line-up on 5th August. The most recent celeb name to drop was Emmerdale actor, Lawrence Robb, on 6th August.
On Monday 10th August, Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker was added to the line-up, with penultimate contestant John Nellis being announced on Tuesday 11th August. Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters was the final name announced on Wednesday 12th.
Check out the full line-up below:
Lacey Turner
Best known for: Actress
Lacey said: "I am so excited to being making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can't quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!"
Dani Dyer
Best known for: TV personality
Dani said: "I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one! I'm just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!"
Delta Goodrem
Best known for: Singer and actress
Delta said: "I've been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career - from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I've never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor! I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can't wait to get started!"
Chris Appleton
Best known for: World-renowned conceptual hair stylist
Chris said: 'I'm thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I've always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story - and I can't wait to get started.'
Cach Mercer
Best known for: Love Island winner
Cach said: "I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can't wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!"
Will Best
Best known for: Radio presenter and Big Brother host
Will said: "I can't quite believe it…I'm doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one. I've been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I'm going to try to enjoy every minute of it."
Dame Sarah Storey
Best known for: Paralympic athlete
Sarah said: "Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting. I have always loved watching Strictly and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world, is incredibly motivating! I can't wait to get started!"
Jaime Winstone
Best known for: Actress
Jamie said: "I am so excited to announce that I will be joining the Strictly Come Dancing cast this year. I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me. I love a challenge though, so can't wait to enter my showgirl era and get super sparkly!! Let's get physical – see you on the dance floor!"
Bethany Antonia
Best known for: Actress
Bethany said: "I can't quite believe that I will be heading to the Strictly ballroom this September! I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!"
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Best known for: Football legend and pundit
Shaun said: "Dancing is in my blood — but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I'm super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!"
Graeme Hall
Best known for: Dog coach and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly star
Graeme said: "I can't believe I am joining the cast of Strictly for 2026. I have always loved dancing, so to have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business is a dream come true. I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking! I can't wait to get started. Bring it on!"
Lawrence Robb
Best known for: Emmerdale actor
Lawrence said: "I don't know who's more excited about this, me or my Mother. I can't quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time! It's a dream come true, and I can't wait to bring my all to ballroom. Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome - trust me I'll need it!"
Tabby Stoecker
Best known for: Team GB Skeleton athlete
Tabby said: "I am over the moon to be joining the cast of Strictly 2026. I've had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can't wait to get stuck in!"
John Nellis
Best known for: Sports Content Creator
John said: "I'm still in disbelief that I've been selected for Strictly and, if I'm honest, I'm a little nervous as I've never danced before! It's such an incredible opportunity, and I'm going to throw myself into every moment. I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!"
Melanie Walters
Best known for: Gavin and Stacey actress
Melanie said: "Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly 'fix' has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room. This year I am completely thrilled and happy to swap my fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes. I just hope I don't follow Cinderella and leave one on the Ballroom stairs. I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it's so exciting. See you in September!"
Who is paired together?
This year's pairing were officially unveiled during the pre-recorded launch show, which hit our screens on Saturday 19th September.
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby
Will Best and Dianne Buswell
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita
John Nellis and Katya Jones
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec
Who are the judges?
Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse have all returned for the 2026 series.
Which professional dancers are on Strictly this year?
Earlier this year, a number of professional dancers who've been part of the show for over a decade announced their exits.
Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Márquez will all not be returning.
However, on 6th May, the BBC confirmed Dianne Buswell, Julian Caillon, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Vito Coppola will all return. Although, we aren't sure if Johannes will be able to dance following the news that he will be co-hosting the series in 2026.
Five new professional dancers have also joined, in the form of Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita.
READ MORE: Find out more about the 2026 Strictly professionals here
How to vote
Voting will open once the live shows begin and it's set to once again be online only.
In 2025, for the first time in the show's history, voting was online only, with viewers being asked to scan the QR code on the screen during the show, or visit the Strictly website to vote.
The voting on Strictly Come Dancing combined both the judges' scores and the public votes, meaning no couple is safe, even if they receive the top score of 40 from the judges.
After all couples have performed, voting opens for the public to vote for their favourite couple, then the judges scores and the public votes are added together. The couple ranked the highest will be given a number of points equal to the number of couples competing that evening.
How can I get tickets to see Strictly?
The random ballot for free audience tickets closed on 1st September.
What channel is it on?
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One on Saturday and Sunday nights, with the spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, broadcasting on BBC2.
Who hosts Strictly: It Takes Two?
Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two has become nearly as popular as the main show since it first hit BBC Two in 2004.
After four years presenting the show, Rylan Clark confirmed in April 2023 that he'd quit his hosting role, with Hits Radio presenter Fleur East and Janette Manrara taking over until the 2025 series.
In August 2026, it was then announced former contestant and comedian Ellie Taylor would be the new host!
She said: “What a total joy to return to Strictly in this new role. I feel incredibly honoured to follow in the footsteps of the phenomenal line-up of hosts who've made Strictly - It Takes Two so loved over the years. I can’t wait to immerse myself in all the gossip and sequins flying out of the ballroom in order to bring my fellow Strictly fans everything they need to know. I’m so excited, I could cha cha! (But I won’t - don’t worry… no one needs to see that again.)”
Who has won Strictly Come Dancing in the past?
There's so far been 23 different winners of Strictly, you can read all about the past winners right here.
Author: Alex Ross
Alex Ross is a Digital Content Editor across Rayo brands, including the Hits Radio Network, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS, Cool FM and Magic Radio. After beginning her career as a Marketing Intern with Bauer Media in 2016, she transitioned into digital editorial and has spent the past decade creating engaging content for millions of readers. Whether it’s reality shows, sitcoms, gritty crime dramas or hard-hitting documentaries, Alex is an expert in all things TV, as well as knowing the ins and outs of celebrities.