Strictly Come Dancing returns in September with 15 celebrities, five new professional dancers and a new presenting team. The 2026 series brings together actors, musicians, broadcasters, sports stars and online creators as they prepare to learn ballroom and Latin routines.
Here is your guide to the start date, celebrity line-up, professional dancers and what to expect from the launch show.
When Does ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2026 Start?
The launch show airs at 7:25pm on Saturday, September 19, 2026, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It will introduce this year’s partnerships before the competition gets under way.
As covered in our first-look trailer article, the launch includes three specially choreographed group routines through which the pairings will be revealed. The celebrities and professionals will discover their partners in front of the studio audience.
The opening celebrations will also welcome back 2025 champion Karen Carney, who reunites with Carlos Gu for her football-themed jive.
Who Is In The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2026 Celebrity Line-Up?
All 15 contestants have been announced. The following profiles draw on the celebrity announcement round-up and the Royal Television Society’s cast guide, which also carries the BBC-credited publicity portraits below.
Lacey Turner
Best known as Stacey Slater in EastEnders, Turner was the first celebrity announced for this year’s competition.
Dani Dyer
The Love Island winner returns after an ankle injury forced her to withdraw before competing in the 2025 series.
Delta Goodrem
The Australian singer and actress brings a career spanning Neighbours, chart success and The Voice Australia.
Chris Appleton
The celebrity hairstylist, whose clients include Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, is stepping into the spotlight himself.
Cach Mercer
The 2025 Love Island winner is joining another major television competition, this time to learn ballroom and Latin dancing.
Will Best
The television and radio presenter is known for co-hosting Big Brother and presenting on Hits Radio.
Dame Sarah Storey
Britain’s most successful Paralympian joins after retiring from competitive sport, with 19 Paralympic gold medals across swimming and cycling.
Bethany Antonia
The actress swaps House of the Dragon for the ballroom. Her screen credits also include Get Even and Doctor Who.
Jaime Winstone
The film and television actress has appeared in Made in Dagenham and Tomb Raider, alongside stage work.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
The former England footballer and pundit played for Manchester City and Chelsea during his professional career.
Graeme Hall
Known as The Dogfather, the dog trainer and television presenter fronts Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.
Lawrence Robb
The Emmerdale actor’s credits also include I Hate Suzie and stage productions, including Legally Blonde The Musical.
Tabby Stoecker
The British skeleton athlete joins the celebrity cast after winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
John Nellis
The football content creator has made videos with some of the sport’s biggest names, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Melanie Walters
Best known as Gwen West in Gavin & Stacey, Walters also has credits in Being Human and Death Valley.
Who Are The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2026 Professional Dancers?
The professional roster combines 14 returning dancers with five newcomers. A place in the professional line-up does not itself confirm a celebrity partnership; the pairings will be revealed at the launch.
Returning Professional Dancers
- Alexis Warr
- Aljaž Škorjanec
- Amy Dowden
- Carlos Gu
- Dianne Buswell
- Jowita Przystal
- Julian Caillon
- Kai Widdrington
- Katya Jones
- Lauren Oakley
- Nancy Xu
- Neil Jones
- Nikita Kuzmin
- Vito Coppola
New Professional Dancers
- Aleksandra Isaeva
- Cristian Priori
- Lethabo Monametsi
- Maddie Ingoldsby
- Mark Karmalita
The new additions bring competitive ballroom and Latin experience from Ukraine, Italy, South Africa, the UK and Canada. Read more about their backgrounds in our guide to the five new professional dancers.
Who Is Hosting ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ In 2026?
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are the new presenting trio. All three feature in the first-look trailer alongside the celebrities, dancers and judges.
Radebe’s role this year is part of the presenting team, so he is listed here separately from the professional dancers.
Who Are The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2026 Judges?
Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke return as this year’s judges.
Have The Celebrity And Professional Pairings Been Announced?
As of September 7, the partnerships have not been publicly revealed. The September 19 launch show will establish which celebrity is dancing with which professional, so the contestant profiles above do not assign partners in advance.
Where Can You Watch ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2026?
Watch the launch on BBC One or BBC iPlayer at 7:25pm on September 19. For the first footage of this year’s cast together, visit our Strictly Come Dancing 2026 trailer coverage.
