Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Announces Full Celebrity Line-Up and Presenter Shake-Up
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September with a fully confirmed celebrity cast, anchored by Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters as the final major reveal. According to reports from The Pink News, the upcoming series brings significant changes to both the hosting roster and the professional dancer lineup, while retaining its core judging panel.
New Hosts and Returning Judges for the 2026 Series
The BBC staple introduces a fresh hosting trio for 2026, featuring presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe, and comedian Josh Widdicombe. According to The Pink News, the judging panel remains unchanged from previous seasons, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and Head Judge Shirley Ballas returning to evaluate the routines and award scores.
The professional dancer lineup undergoes a major shake-up for the new run. Fan favourites Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Gorka Márquez have departed the show. In addition, professional dancers Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will not be paired with celebrity partners for this series.
Confirmed Celebrity Contestants
Melanie Walters, best known for playing Stacey’s mum Gwen on the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, was confirmed as the final celebrity on August 12. She stated that after fifteen years of watching the show from pantomime dressing rooms, she is thrilled to swap her fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes.
The full roster of 2026 celebrity contestants includes:
- Melanie Walters: Actor known for Gavin and Stacey.
- John Nellis: Social media content creator with billions of views for sports-related videos.
- Tabby Stoecker: Olympic gold medalist competing for Team GB in the skeleton event.
- Lawrence Robb: Actor recognized for his role as Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Boyd in Emmerdale.
- Graeme Hall: Dog trainer, author, and presenter of Channel 5’s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.
- Shaun Wright-Phillips: Former England footballer.
Olympic skeleton champion Tabby Stoecker joins the cast after describing her inclusion as a childhood dream, while Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb expressed excitement that both he and his mother are fans of the programme. Social media personality John Nellis enters the competition with no prior dance experience, and dog trainer Graeme Hall steps into the ballroom to tackle the learning challenge.
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